title: Boric acid inhibits alveolar bone loss in rats by affecting RANKL and osteoprotegerin expression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of the present study was to evaluate the effects of systemic boric acid on the levels of expression of RANKL and osteoprotegerin (OPG) and on histopathologic and histometric changes in a rat periodontitis model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four Wistar rats were divided into three groups of eight animals each: nonligated (NL); ligature only (LO); and ligature plus treatment with boric acid (BA) (3 mg/kg per day for 11 d). A 4/0 silk suture was placed in a subgingival position around the mandibular right first molars; after 11 d the rats were killed, and alveolar bone loss in the first molars was histometrically determined. Periodontal tissues were examined histopathologically to assess the differences among the study groups. RANKL and OPG were detected immunohistochemically.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alveolar bone loss was significantly higher in the LO group than in the BA and NL groups (p < 0.05). The number of inflammatory infiltrate and osteoclasts in the LO group was significantly higher than that in the NL and BA groups (p < 0.05). The numbers of osteoblasts in LO and BA groups were significantly higher compared with NL group (p < 0.05). There were significantly more RANKL-positive cells in the LO group than in the BA and NL groups (p < 0.05). There was a higher number of OPG-positive cells in the BA group than in the LO and NL groups (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study shows that systemic administration of boric acid may reduce alveolar bone loss by affecting the RANKL/OPG balance in periodontal disease in rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sağlam
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hatipoğlu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Köseoğlu
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Esen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kelebek
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001888:Boric Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002452:Cell Count; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008334:Mandible / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000187:drug effects*; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000209:etiology; D053245:RANK Ligand / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D001888:Boric Acids; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; D053245:RANK Ligand; C506032:Tnfrsf11b protein, rat; C032688:boric acid
keywords: alveolar bone loss; boric acid; osteoprotegerin; periodontal diseases; receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand