Effect of 15% Alcohol Dependence on Alveolar Bone Loss and TNF-α Secretion in Wistar Rats

Abstract The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of 15% alcohol dependence on ligature-induced alveolar bone loss and TNF- secretion in Wistar rats. Thirty-three male Wistar rats aged 45-60 days (mean weight=253 g) were randomly allocated test or control groups. Test group (n=18) received 15% alcohol as liquid intake and control group (n=15) received water during the experimental period. TNF-α was analyzed by ELISA assay in 11 animals per group. After 14 days of alcohol/water intake, alcohol dependency was assessed and silk ligatures were placed around the left second upper molars. Ligature presence and body weight were checked weekly. After 40 days, animals were sacrificed and the maxillae were defleshed for morphometric analysis using standardized images. All animals in the test group displayed signs of alcohol dependency at day 14. No statistically significant differences in final body weight (334.83±21.38 vs. 322.48±30.65 g, p=0.20) were observed between groups. In relation to alveolar bone loss, no statistically significant difference was observed among test and control groups both for ligated teeth (0.76±0.06 vs. 0.74±0.10 mm, p=0.60) and unligated teeth (0.41±0.16 vs. 0.35±0.05 mm, p=0.22). The TNF-α secretion also did not display statistically significant differences between test and control groups (10.78±1.84 vs. 12.13±2.11 pg/mL, p=0.12). It may be concluded that 15% alcohol dependency was not capable to alter alveolar bone loss and TNF-α secretion in Wistar rats.

Resumo O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o efeito da dependência de álcool a 15% sobre a perda óssea alveolar induzida e secreção de TNF-α em ratos Wistar. Trinta e três ratos wistar com idade entre 45 e 60 dias (peso médio=253 g) foram alocados aleatoriamente para o grupo teste ou controle. O grupo teste (n=18) recebeu álcool a 15% como ingestão líquida e o grupo controle (n=15) recebeu água durante o período experimental. TNF-α foi analisado por meio de ELISA em 11 animais por grupo. Após 14 dias de ingestão de álcool/água a dependência do álcool foi determinada e ligaduras de seda foram colocadas ao redor dos segundos molares superiores esquerdos. A presença das ligaduras e o peso corporal foram verificadas semanalmente. Depois de 40 dias os animais foram sacrificados e as maxilas foram preparadas para análise morfométrica em fotografias estandardizadas. Todos os animais do grupo teste apresentaram sinais de dependência de álcool no dia 14. Não foram observadas diferenças estatisticamente significativas no peso corporal final entre os grupos (334,83±21,38 vs. 322,48±30,65 gramas, p=0,20) Em relação a perda óssea alveolar, não foram observadas diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os grupos teste e controle tanto para dentes com (0,76±0,06 vs. 0,74±0,10 mm, p=0,60) como para dentes sem ligadura (0,41±0,16 vs. 0,35±0,05 mm, p=0,22). A secreção de TNF-α também não demonstrou diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os grupos teste e controle (10,78±1,84 vs. 12,13±2,11 pg/mL, p=0,12). Pode-se concluir que a dependência de álcool a 15% não foi capaz de alterar a perda óssea alveolar e a secreção de TNF-α em ratos Wistar.

Alveolar bone loss induced by chronic ethanol consumption from adolescence to adulthood in Wistar rats.

Though there are literature indicating the bone loss due to alcohol consumption, studies on the association between ethanol consumption and periodontal breakdown in animals are either scarce or have provided conflicting results. Here, we investigated the effects of chronic alcohol exposure from adolescence to adulthood on the alveolar bone in rats. Wistar rats were exposed to ethanol (6.5 g/kg/day) in a solution of 22.5% (w/v) or distilled water (control) by gavage from 35 days of age (adolescent) until 90 days (adulthood). Evaluation of the bone loss was performed using scanning electronic microscopy, in which the distances between the cement-enamel junction and the alveolar bone crest from the palatal side of the first molar mandibular were measured. The measurements obtained were tabulated and analyzed using Student’s t-test. Alcohol-treated group revealed greater bone loss in comparison to the control group. These findings indicate that heavy chronic alcohol exposure from adolescent to adulthood can induce alveolar bone loss in rats associated to absence of periodontitis.

Low caloric value of ethanol itself increases alveolar bone loss in ligature-induced periodontitis in male rats

This study aimed at morphometrically evaluating the influence of variable caloric values of ethanol consumption on alveolar bone loss in periodontitis in male rats. Thirty-six male rats were randomized into four groups of nine rats each, as follows: Test group A (low) - rats were fed an ethanol-containing liquid diet (ethanol representing 22 percent of total caloric value); Control group A -rats were fed a pair-fed control diet (ethanol replaced by isocaloric amounts of carbohydrate); Test group B (high) -rats were fed an ethanol-containing liquid diet (ethanol representing 36 percent of total caloric value); Control group B -rats were fed a pair-fed control diet for Test B. Following anesthesia, cotton ligatures were placed around the cervix of the right upper second molar. At eight weeks, the maxillary bones were removed and alveolar bone loss was analyzed by measuring the distance between the cementoenamel junction and the alveolar bone crest at buccal and palatal sites of the upper second molar. The unligated groups showed no significant differences between the bone loss values observed for the low and high caloric values of ethanol (p > 0.05). In the ligated groups, the rats receiving low caloric values of ethanol showed significantly greater bone loss compared to the isocaloric rats (p < 0.05); however, the rats receiving high caloric values of ethanol showed no significant differences compared to the controls. Analysis of the results demonstrated that, in male rats, ethanol itself affected ligature-induced bone loss when representing a low value in the total caloric value.

Histologic evaluation of the effect of nicotine administration on bone regeneration: a study in dogs

O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar histometricamente a influência da nicotina sobre a regeneração óssea de defeitos criados cirurgicamente em rebordos alveolares edêntulos de cães. Defeitos ósseos foram criados cirurgicamente em um dos lados da mandíbula de dezesseis cães e foram deixados para que curassem espontanea-mente. Os animais foram aleatoriamente designados para um dos seguintes grupos: Grupo 1 - controle (n = 8) e Grupo 2 - administração subcutânea de nicotina (2 mg/kg) duas vezes ao dia durante 4 meses (n = 8). Os animais foram sacrificados, e secções semi-seriadas descalcificadas, obtidas. Os parâmetros histométricos avaliados foram altura, largura, área e densidade do tecido ósseo neoformado. A análise intergrupos (Mann-Whitney "rank sum test") demonstrou que a administração de nicotina não influenciou altura, largura e área de tecido ósseo neoformado (p > 0,05). Entretanto, a administração de nicotina influenciou significativamente a densidade do tecido ósseo neoformado (p < 0,001). Dentro dos limites do presente estudo, pode-se concluir que a nicotina pode afetar, mas não impedir a regeneração de defeitos ósseos criados cirurgicamente em mandíbulas edêntulas de cães.