Minocycline reduces alveolar bone loss and bone damage in Wistar rats with experimental periodontitis

by Deborah Ribeiro Frazão, José Mario Matos-Souza, Vinicius Ruan Neves dos Santos, Rayssa Maite Farias Nazario, Victoria dos Santos Chemelo, Leonardo Oliveira Bittencourt, Gabriela de Souza Balbinot, Fabrício Mezzomo Collares, Walace Gomes-Leal, Railson Oliveira Ferreira, Cassiano Kuchenbecker Rösing, Alexandru Movila, Rafael Rodrigues Lima

This study aimed to investigate the impact of minocycline on the alveolar bone in experimental periodontitis in rats. Thirty Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups: control without periodontitis; experimental periodontitis induced by ligature; experimental periodontitis + intraperitoneal administration minocycline for seven days. Ligatures remained in place in both periodontitis groups for 14 days. At the end of the experiment, the animals were euthanized and one hemimandible underwent micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis to assess vertical bone loss and alveolar bone quality. Histopathological analysis was performed on the other hemimandible. Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA with Tukey’s post-test (p<0.05). The results showed a significant reduction in vertical bone loss in the animals treated with minocycline compared with untreated animals. Minocycline also preserved the alveolar bone thickness, number, spacing, and bone volume to tissue volume ratio. Histopathological analysis indicated that minocycline reduced bone resorption, decreased inflammatory response, and maintained the bone collagen fibers. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of minocycline in reducing vertical bone loss and preserved bone quality in rats with experimental periodontitis. The results of this study indicate that minocycline has the potential to serve as an additional treatment option for periodontitis. However, further research is warranted to assess the efficacy and safety of minocycline use in patients with periodontitis.