title: Multi-organ injuries caused by lipopolysaccharide-induced periodontal inflammation in rats: role of melatonin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease caused by oral bacterial infection, is considered to be a risk factor for systemic diseases including diabetes mellitus, bacterial pneumonia, hyperlipidemia and atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of melatonin against periodontal inflammation-induced multiple organ injury in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighteen female Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into three groups of six rats each: control; lipopolysaccharide (LPS); and LPS + melatonin. During the experimental period (10 d) all rats in the LPS and LPS + melatonin groups were given 10 μL of LPS (from a 10 mg/mL standard solution of LPS dissolved in saline) on days 1, 3 and 5. The rats in the LPS + melatonin group were given 50 mg/kg of melatonin, daily for 10 d, starting on day 1 after the administration of LPS. All rats were killed at the end of the experimental period. Liver, kidney and lung tissues were removed for investigation by light microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were significantly increased in the LPS group compared with the LPS + melatonin group (p < 0.05). There was no significant change in the serum creatinine levels in the groups. However, the changes in serum AST, ALT and BUN levels in the experimental groups did not correlate with changes in histological data. Both LPS and LPS + melatonin groups displayed structural features similar to those of the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results revealed that increased serum AST, ALT and BUN levels following periodontitis are ameliorated with melatonin treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Bulent Ecevit University, Zonguldak, Turkey.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gulle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akpolat
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kurcer
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Cengiz
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baba
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Acikgoz
mesh_terms: D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008550:Melatonin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000097:blood / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D020011:Protective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D020011:Protective Agents; C482199:lipopolysaccharide, E coli O55-B5; D003404:Creatinine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase; D008550:Melatonin
keywords: histopathology; melatonin; multiorgan injury; periodontitis; rat