Effects of avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) on the treatment of ligature-induced periodontitis in rats

• Published in: Brazilian oral research Vol. 31; p. e28
• Main Authors: Oliveira, Guilherme José Pimentel Lopes de, Paula, Luiz Guilherme Freitas de, Souza, João Antônio Chaves de, Spin-Neto, Rubens, Stavropoulos, Andreas, Marcantonio, Rosemary Adriana Chiérici
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Brazil Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Odontológica - SBPqO 01.01.2017; Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Odontológica
• Subjects: Alveolar Bone Loss; Animals; Antirheumatic Agents; Dental Scaling; DENTISTRY, ORAL SURGERY & MEDICINE; Gene Expression; Glycine max - chemistry; Immunohistochemistry; Interleukin-1beta - analysis; Interleukin-6 - analysis; Male; Periodontitis; Periodontitis - drug therapy; Periodontitis - etiology; Periodontitis - pathology; Persea - chemistry; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts - therapeutic use; Random Allocation; RANK Ligand - analysis; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Reference Values; Reproducibility of Results; Root Planing - methods; Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase - analysis; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - analysis; Antirheumatic Agents; Dental Scaling; Alveolar Bone Loss; Phytotherapy; Periodontitis
• ISSN: 1806-8324; 1807-3107; 1807-3107; 1806-8324
• DOI: 10.1590/1807-3107BOR-2017.vol31.0028

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of the avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) on the treatment of induced periodontitis in rats. Periodontitis was induced in 84 rats via ligature placement around the second upper molar, which was removed after 7 days, and scaling and root planning (SRP) was performed at this time. Subsequently, the rats were randomly allocated to four groups with 21 animals each: One SRP group in which saline solution was administered (SS), and three groups in which ASU was administered (0.6 g/kg/day), beginning either 7 days before the induction of periodontitis (SRP/ASU-7), on the day of periodontitis induction (SRP/ASU0), or on the day of treatment (SRP/ASU+7). ASU and SS were administered daily by gavage until the sacrifice of the animals (7, 15, and 30 days after SRP). The % bone in the furcation area was evaluated by histomorphometry and micro-CT. The expression of proteins (TRAP, RANKL, and alkaline phosphatase) and mRNA (IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, RANKL, and alkaline phosphatase) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and qPCR. The SRP/ASU+7 group presented a higher percentage of bone fill in the furcation area and higher expression of alkaline phosphatase than in the SRP group (at 7 and 30 days, respectively). The SRP/ASU0 and SRP/ASU+7 groups presented lower expression levels of RANKL mRNA than the SRP and SRP/ASU-7 groups at 15 days. ASU administration on the day of the SRP treatment of the ligature-induced periodontitis promoted subtle beneficial effects on periodontal repair following the treatment of induced periodontitis within the experimental period of 7 days.