Abstract
Objectives Several studies have investigated the effects of different medications on orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). This study assessed the effect of caffeine injection on OTM in rats. Materials and Methods Thirty-five male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups. Their first molars and central incisors were attached with a nickel-titanium closed coil spring with 50 g load. The rats in the three experimental groups received 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg caffeine intraperitoneally for 21 days. The negative control group did not receive any injection and did not undergo orthodontic treatment. The positive control group underwent orthodontic treatment and received 0.9% NaCl (saline) injection. After 21 days, all rats were sacrificed by chloroform inhalation, and the maxilla was resected. The mean number of Howship's lacunae, blood vessels, osteoclasts, and root resorption lacunae was histologically measured. The bone volume-to-total volume ratio (BV/TV) in maxillary molars was calculated by microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) to quantify bone loss. Results The amount of OTM and the number of osteoclasts, blood vessels, and Howship's lacunae significantly increased in rats under caffeine therapy, while the number of root resorption lacunae did not increase. Lower BV/TV in the caffeine groups was in accord with the increased count of osteoclasts. Conclusion Caffeine injection can significantly increase OTM in rats.
Highlights
Orthodontic treatment has gained wide public acceptance in the recent years
Animal Model and Treatment Methods. e study was approved by the ethics committee of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (IR.KUMS.REC.1397.724) and conducted in accordance with the ARRIVE guidelines [23]. is animal study evaluated 35 male Wistar rats weighing 200–250 g. e rats were kept in transparent plastic cages under standard laboratory conditions at a constant temperature of 2425°C, 55% humidity, and 12 h dark/12 h light cycles for one week prior to the experiment for the purpose of acclimation [24]. e rats were fed soft food to minimize the appliance movement after installation. e orthodontic appliance was installed for all rats except for the negative control group as explained elsewhere [25]
LOTUSinVivo-3D was used for rendering of reconstructed images, and by adding the bone analysis plugin (BAP) inside software, we reported bone volume (BV) and total volume (TV) parameters [32]
Summary
Orthodontic treatment has gained wide public acceptance in the recent years. It corrects dental anomalies and improves the esthetic appearance of the face. Orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) is induced by mechanical stimuli and enhanced by the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone remodeling [2, 3]. Orthodontists should have adequate information about the medications that can change the bone physiology because they can probably affect the treatment course as well [10, 11]. Some medications have an adverse effect on this process and can decelerate the treatment course, while some others can shorten the duration of treatment [12, 13]
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