Histomorphometric evaluation of alveolar bone during ligature-induced periodontitis in rats treated with epigallocatechin-3-gallate

Abstract

Periodontal disease is currently one of the most common chronic inflammatory diseases that affect the population. During its development, tissue destruction has been attributed to exacerbated inflammation and imbalance between the generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and capacity of antioxidant defense. Recently, the anti-inflammatory capacity and antioxidant potential of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) obtained from Camellia sinensis leaves has been extensively studied. Studies in vitro have shown that EGCG has anti-osteoclastogenic activity being suggested as a potential treatment option in various bone diseases associated with excessive osteoclast formation and bone destruction. The current work aims to determine whether daily administration of EGCG inhibits or decrease the bone loss during induction of periodontal disease by ligadure. Silk ligatures will be placed at the gingival margin level of the lower right first molar of 45 rats. The contra-lateral molar will be used as a disease control. The animals will be divided into untreated group (GST), EGCG-treated group (GTegcg) that will receive daily by oral gavage 100mg/kg of EGCG and Sham group (GTsalina) that will receive saline only. At the end of 7, 14 and 21 days (n = 5 animals/period/group) the distal-proximal sections of the mandible stained with HE will be evaluated the percentage of inflammatory processes and alveolar bone loss in the periodontium. In the sections subject to the histochemical detection of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) will be quantified the number of osteoclastos/mm2. The data will be compared between the different groups and experimental periods, the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Kruskal-Wallis test, depending depending on normality of the data at significance level of 5 %. (AU)