Abstract
Abstract Objectives To investigate the effect of morphine as an exogenous opioid on orthodontic tooth movement. Naltrexone will be used as an opioid antagonist to confirm the results. Methods Forty rats were randomly divided into four equal groups. The first group received no injection; the second group received daily injections of morphine; the third group received daily naltrexone-morphine injections and the fourth group daily injections of naltrexone-normal saline. The left first maxillary molar in each rat was tipped mesially with a NiTi closed coil spring. The rats were sacrificed after 14 days and the maxillae fixed, sectioned serially and examined histologically. Results The greatest amount of tooth movement occurred in the Control group and the least amount of tooth movement in the Morphine group. Tooth movement in the Morphine group was significantly different from the other three groups (p < 0.05). The differences in tooth movement in the Control, Morphine-naltrexone and Naltrexone-saline groups were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). No statistically significant histological differences were found. Conclusions Morphine reduced orthodontic tooth movement in rats. This effect was reversed by the opioid antagonist, naltrexone, which had no effect on tooth movement.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.