title: Evaluation of the effect of tacrolimus on periodontitis induced in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was to investigate the effect of tacrolimus (FK506) on periodontitis induced in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Periodontal disease was induced in 30 Wistar rats which were then randomly divided into two groups: treatment with a daily injection of 0.9% saline (1mL/day) and treatment with a daily injection of FK506. After periods of 10, 15 and 30days the animals were killed and separate radiographs of the right and left hemimandibles were obtained. One calibrated examiner measured the periodontal bone support (PBS) in the images, after the following treatments: S, saline without ligature; SL, saline with ligature; T, FK506 without ligature; TL, FK506 with ligature. The data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey test (p<0.01).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The radiographic results were similar at all evaluation time points. The S treatment had a higher PBS averaging at 10, 15 and 30days, which was statistically significant different compared with the SL treatment and TL treatment, but not significantly different from the T treatment. The SL and TL treatments showed no statistically significant differences between them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tacrolimus used for up to 30days showed no protective or aggravating effects on alveolar bone loss.
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Alagoas, Maceió, Algoas, Brazil; University Center Cesmac, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil; Federal University of Pernambuco, Health Sciences Center, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luiz Alexandre
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moura Penteado
authors.affiliation: University Center Cesmac, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gilmara Medeiros
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Lucena
authors.affiliation: University Center Cesmac, Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcílio Otávio
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Brandão Peixoto
authors.affiliation: North University of Paraná, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thiago Correia
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Pernambuco, Health Sciences Center, Recife, PE, Brazil. Electronic address: carolinalfalcao@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana Carolina
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: de Souza Leitão Arruda
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Pernambuco, Health Sciences Center, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cimões
mesh_terms: D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000188:drug therapy; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016559:Tacrolimus
keywords: Alveolar bone loss; Periodontics; Tacrolimus