Spontaneous Alveolar Bone Loss Development by Alloxan-induced Diabetes Mellitus in Rats

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is associated with the occurrence and severity of alveolar bone loss. This study evaluated the effect of alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus on the percentage of remaining periodontal bone support (PBS) and periodontal bone loss (PBL) in adult rats. Twenty female rats were injected with alloxan diluted at 0.2% in a 0.05 M citrate buffer, pH 4.5 (150 mg/kg, i.p.) and eight of them became diabetic. The glycaemic indexes were investigated weekly. After 42 days, the rats were euthanized and left mandibles were radiographed to measure the PBS. The same left mandibles were defleshed and stained and PBL was evaluated morphometrically by measuring the distance between the cementoenamel junction and alveolar bone crest. The comparison between the diabetic and control groups showed that the induced diabetes provoked statistically lower percentage of PBS and higher periodontal bone destruction (p<0.05). In conclusion, the induction of diabetes mellitus in adult rats may cause alveolar bone loss and reduce the remaining periodontal bone support.