Evaluation of Periodontal Tissues and Abdominal Aorta of Rats with Induced Obesity by Monosodium Glutamate and Experimental Periodontitis

Introduction and Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavior of experimentally-provoked-periodontitis tissues and the abdominal aorta in rats with acquired induced hypothalamic obesity.

Methods: Initially in the first 5 days of life, a cohort of twenty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups; the first group [n=14] were given intradermal injections of 4 G/kg of solution of Monosodium glutamate (MSG); the second group [n=14] was given 1,25 G/kg/day of saline solution (group CTL) in the cervical region. At 70 days, each of the two groups were further divided into another 2 subgroups, and periodontitis was induced with ligature placing as the experimental variable, on the 1st lower molars, except in group 1 and 3. This created 4 groups: (1) control group without ligature (CTL n=7); (2) control group with ligature (CTLLIG n=7); (3) group MSG without ligature (MSG n=7); (4) and group MSG with ligature (MSGLIG n=7). Total n=28. After 100 days the rats were sacrificed and gingival tissue, abdominal aorta samples, and a hemi-mandible were dissected out for immunological, morphological and radiographic analysis.

Results: Both Radiography and histopathology showed significant lower alveolar bone loss when the MSGLIG, group was compared to the CTLLIG group (p< 0.05). In the abdominal aorta morphometric analysis there was statistically significant difference in the measurement of the thickness of the aortic wall, being the largest thickness observed in the MSGLIG group (p< 0.05).

Conclusion: Therefore, this study suggests that the periodontitis in association with the hypothalamic obesity may contribute to the increase of the width of the abdominal aorta walls, as well as the hypothalamic obesity may exert a protective effect on alveolar bone loss.