Periodontitis is associated with aggravation of prediabetes in Zucker fatty rats.
BACKGROUND
Prediabetes is part of the natural history of type 2 diabetes. Few human studies have addressed the relationship between periodontitis and prediabetes. The Zucker fatty rat (ZFR) is a known model of prediabetes, characterized by hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, and moderate hypertension. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether periodontitis affects the prediabetic state of ZFRs.


METHODS
Male adult ZFRs (fa/fa; N = 24) and their lean littermates (+/fa; N = 24) were studied. Periodontitis was induced with ligatures in half of the ZFRs and lean rats, whereas the other half served as controls. After 4 weeks, body weight, food intake, glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, free fatty acids, cytokines, and alveolar bone loss were recorded.


RESULTS
ZFRs with periodontitis presented increased glucose intolerance (P = 0.03) and a slight increase in fasting glucose from initial to final evaluation, as detected through paired analysis (P = 0.03). Among lean rats, those with periodontitis presented higher final glucose intolerance than those without periodontitis (P = 0.01). Furthermore, periodontitis in lean rats was associated with increased fasting glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance, as evaluated through paired analysis (P = 0.003, P = 0.008, and P = 0.001, respectively). Regarding alveolar bone analysis, ZFRs with periodontitis demonstrated significantly more bone loss compared to lean rats with periodontitis (P <0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Prediabetes worsened periodontitis, and periodontitis, in turn, was associated with deterioration of glucose metabolism in ZFRs, suggesting a progress toward diabetes. Furthermore, periodontitis also affected glucose regulation in lean rats.
Pontes Andersen
Carla C
CC
Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. cpo@odont.ku.dk
Flyvbjerg
Allan
A
Buschard
Karsten
K
Holmstrup
Palle
P
D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000150:complications; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000209:etiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000209:etiology*; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications*; D011236:Prediabetic State / Q000150:complications*; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D016207:Cytokines; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D005947:Glucose