ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To examine the expression of tumor necrosis factor in placenta of pregnant rats with chronic periodontitis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty Wistar female rats were randomly divided into two groups, control (n = 8) and experimental group (n = 12). The periodontitis model was established in the experimental group. The females and males in the two groups got together four weeks later. Nineteen days after pregnancy all rats were executed and placenta collected. The delivery time and neonatal birth weight were recorded and the pathological changes of periodontal tissue observed. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) expression was examined in placenta by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The animal model of chronic periodontitis was successfully established. Experimental group delivered 30 offspring and the control group 56 offspring. The average number of pups born alive per litter in experimental group (4.1 ± 2.2) was significantly lower than that in control group (9.2 ± 2.2), P < 0.05. The birth weight of pups in experimental group [(5.01 ± 0.43) g] was significantly lower than that in the control group [(5.79 ± 0.53) g], P < 0.05. The relative quantitative expression of TNF was (1.807 ± 0.265) in experimental group the and (1.003 ± 0.021) in the control group (P = 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Chronic periodontitis may be related to preterm low birth weight.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Pregnancy , Rats , Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans , Animals, Newborn , Birth Weight , Chronic Periodontitis , Metabolism , Microbiology , Disease Models, Animal , Fusobacterium nucleatum , Placenta , Metabolism , Porphyromonas gingivalis , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious , Metabolism , Microbiology , Prevotella intermedia , Random Allocation , Rats, Wistar , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha , MetabolismABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the possible correlation between atherosclerosis and chronic periodontitis by establishing an animal model of chronic periodontitis and atherosclerosis in Wistar rat.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixty male Wistar rats were divided into four groups: A (control group), B (chronic periodontitis group), C (atherosclerosis group), D (chronic periodontitis accompany with atherosclerosis group). Every group was accepted the corresponding treatment. Animals were sacrificed after 12 weeks. The periodontal index, levels of serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the concentration of TNF-alpha and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-3) were examined. The severity of chronic periodontitis and atherosclerosis was quantified by histopathology. The date were statistically analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Through detection of periodontal tissue of experimental teeth, serum and histopathology, animal models were successful. Histopathologic observation revealed:obvious inflammation of periodontal tissue was observed in group B and D. Attachment loss level in group B [(137.86 +/- 28.39) microm] and D [(162.36 +/- 22.69) microm] was higher than that in group A [(4.26 +/- 1.07) microm] and C [(68.07 +/- 18.25) microm] (P < 0.05), and that in group C was higher than group A (P < 0.05). Atherosclerotic lesions of abdominal aorta were formed in group C and D. The level of TC, LDL in group C and D was higher than that in group A and B (P < 0.05), and that in group D was higher than group C (P < 0.05). Animals in group B and D showed higher level of TNF-alpha, MMP-3 in serum than that in group A and C (P < 0.05). There was no correlation between the level of MMP-3 and TC (P = 0.971) or LDL (P = 0.604).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Chronic periodontitis may be a risk factor and contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. MMP-3 may be an independent risk factor of atherosclerosis exclude TC and LDL.</p>