Periodontal host-modulation therapy with avocado/soybean unsaponifiables in rats with arthritis

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the avocado/soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) in the treatment of induced periodontitis in rats with experimental arthritis. METHODS: Sixty rats were randomly assigned to 4 groups according to the type of treatment and the systemic condition of the animals: CTR-S: healthy animals in which saline solution (SS) was administered; ASU-S: healthy animals in which ASU (0.6 mg/kg) was administered; AR/ASU-S: animals with induced arthritis in which ASU was administered; AR-S: animals with induced arthritis in which SS was administered. Periodontitis was induced by ligatures, maintained for 15 days. Subsequently, the treatment was performed by scaling with hand instruments. The SS and ASU were administered daily by gavage until euthanasia of the animals that occurred at 7, 15 or 30 days after the scaling procedure (N.=5 animals/ group). Bone resorption, inflammatory infiltrate composition, and osteoclastogenesis were assessed. RESULTS: The AR-S group had greater bone loss, smaller amounts of fibroblasts and larger amounts of inflammatory cells than all other groups. In addition, the AR-S group had greater osteoclastogenesis in relation to the healthy animal groups. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ASU improved the healing pattern after treatment for experimental periodontitis in animals with arthritis reducing the periodontal bone loss.