Bone resorbing activity of gingiva from beagle dogs following metronidazole and indomethacin therapy.

Abstract

Twenty‐four beagle dogs were divided into three groups of eight dogs each. Periodontitis was induced in three of the denial quadrants of each dog using wire ligatures while one quadrant was not ligaled and was kept cleaned. One group of dogs received no additional treatment, one group received systemic metronidazole and the third group received systemic indomethacin. The in vitro bone resorbing activity of extracts from freeze dried gingiva from the groups was compared.Extracts of gingiva from ligaled teeth produced significant bone resorption. Metronidazole treatment suppressed this ligature‐induced bone resorbing activity while indomethacin had no effect. Extracts from gingiva from around clean non‐ligated teeth had somewhat less activity than extracts from gingiva of ligaled teeth, although some significant resorption remained in all treatment groups. Bacterial cultures from melronidazoletreated groups showed a change from a predominantly Gram negative obligatory anerobic flora (B. assacharolyticus), to one predominated by Gram negative, facultative anaerobes (Capnocytophaga and Campylobacter). It was concluded that metronidazole suppressed bone resorbing activity by inducing a change in the flora of the gingival crevice.