title: Alendronate treatment of naturally-occurring periodontitis in beagle dogs.
abstract: The treatment of periodontal disease has been largely directed at the microbiological etiology. The prevention of bone loss by modulating the host response to the bacteria may be a useful adjunctive method in the management of periodontitis. Alendronate, an amino bisphosphonate, may inhibit bone loss in osteolytic diseases by altering osteoclast activity. The objective of this double-blind study was to evaluate alendronate inhibition of alveolar bone loss in the naturally occurring beagle dog model of periodontitis. Sixteen 7 to 9 year old beagles with moderate-to-severe periodontitis were studied for 6 months. The dogs were stratified into two groups based on initial periodontal severity. One group received 3.0 mg/kg alendronate weekly orally and the other group received a placebo. Silk ligatures were placed on the study teeth for the first 3 months of the study to exacerbate the periodontal destruction. Clinical data were collected for attachment level, gingival index, plaque index, and mobility at baseline and one-month intervals. Intraoral radiographs were made at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. The mandibles were processed for histology at month 6. The radiographs were analyzed by digital image analysis of the subtracted images. A statistically significant difference in bone mass (P < 0.001) was observed between the alendronate and placebo groups. The bisphosphonate had no effect on the clinical parameters of gingival inflammation or plaque. A trend toward decreased attachment loss and mobility was observed in favor of the alendronate group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama, School of Dentistry, Department of Periodontics, Birmingham, USA.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Weatherford
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Jeffcoat
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Jacks
mesh_terms: D019386:Alendronate; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D004164:Diphosphonates; D019386:Alendronate