Chronic consumption of alcohol increases alveolar bone loss

PLoS One. 2020 Aug 20;15(8):e0232731. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232731. eCollection 2020.

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of the chronic consumption of different concentrations of alcohol on the experimental periodontitis (EP). 160 rats were divided into 4 groups: (EP-NT) rats with EP and no alcohol exposure; (EP-A14) rats with EP exposed to 14% alcohol; (EP-A25) rats with EP exposed to 25% alcohol; (EP-A36) rats with EP exposed to 36% alcohol. The animals from the EP-A14, EP-A25 and EP-A36 groups were subjected to different concentrations of alcohol 30 days before EP induction. The histological characteristics, percentage of bone in the furcation (PBF) and bone metabolism in the furcation region were evaluated. The PBF and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) data were subjected to statistical analysis. The EP-A14, EP-A25 and EP-A36 groups had lower PBFs compared with the EP-NT group. A more severe inflammatory process and a greater number of TRAP+ cells were also observed. In the EP-A14, EP-A25 and EP-A36 groups, the inflammatory process became more severe as the ingested alcoholic concentration increased. An increase in RANKL immunolabeling and a significantly higher number of TRAP+ cells were also observed. We conclude that chronic alcohol consumption increases the severity of experimental periodontitis in a dose-dependent manner by increasing the magnitude of local inflammatory responses and stimulating alveolar bone resorption.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alcohol Drinking / adverse effects
  • Alcohol Drinking / physiopathology
  • Alveolar Bone Loss / pathology*
  • Animals
  • Ethanol / adverse effects*
  • Male
  • Periodontitis / pathology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase / metabolism

Substances

  • Ethanol
  • Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase

Grants and funding

VFC Pazmino thanks the Brazilian Federal Agency for the Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES) for the scholarship and JM de Almeida thanks the Fundunesp-PROPE 0096/004/13 for assistance in the development of this research.