Inhibition of Tooth Eruption in the Rat by a Bisphosphonate

• Published in: Journal of dental research Vol. 77; no. 1; pp. 8 - 15
• Main Authors: Grier, R.L., Wise, G.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.1998; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Acid Phosphatase - analysis; Alveolar Process - drug effects; Alveolar Process - pathology; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Biomarkers - analysis; Bone Resorption - physiopathology; Cell Count; Cell Nucleus - drug effects; Cell Size - drug effects; Coloring Agents; Dental Sac - drug effects; Dental Sac - metabolism; Diphosphonates - administration & dosage; Diphosphonates - pharmacology; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Incisor - drug effects; Injections, Subcutaneous; Isoenzymes - analysis; Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - antagonists & inhibitors; Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - genetics; Microscopy, Electron; Molar - drug effects; Monocytes - drug effects; Osteoclasts - drug effects; Osteoclasts - metabolism; Osteoclasts - pathology; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos - antagonists & inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos - genetics; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; RNA - analysis; RNA - genetics; Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase; Tooth Eruption - drug effects; pamidronate; tooth eruption; bone resorption; osteoclasts
• ISSN: 0022-0345; 1544-0591
• DOI: 10.1177/00220345980770011201

Studies of osteopetrotic rodents suggest that localized alveolar bone resorption must occur if the tooth is to To test this hypothesis directly, we injected postnatal rats with pamidronate, a bisphosphonate that reduces bone resorption by osteoclasts, The results of these experiments demonstrate that this bisphosphonate inhibits the time of tooth of both rat molars and incisors. Pamidronate does not inhibit the gene expression of the putative tooth eruption molecules, colony-stimulating factor-1 and c-fos, both of which are expressed in the dental follicle, the tissue that is required for eruption to occur. Pamidronate does increase the size of the osteoclasts, including an increase in the number of nuclei, suggesting that the precursor mononuclear cells can still fuse to form osteoclasts despite the reduced ability of the osteoclasts to resorb bone, Thus, we report the discovery of an agent that inhibits tooth eruption and also show that tooth eruption requires alveolar bone resorption.