Effects of systemic Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus rhamnosus probiotics on the ligature-induced periodontitis in rat

Ying-Wu Chen; Ming-Lun Lee; Cheng-Yang Chiang; Earl Fu

doi:10.1016/j.jds.2023.04.013

Effects of systemic Bifidobacterium longum and Lactobacillus rhamnosus probiotics on the ligature-induced periodontitis in rat

J Dent Sci. 2023 Oct;18(4):1477-1485. doi: 10.1016/j.jds.2023.04.013. Epub 2023 May 5.

Authors

Ying-Wu Chen¹, Ming-Lun Lee², Cheng-Yang Chiang^{1

2}, Earl Fu³

Affiliations

¹ Periodontics Division, Department of Dentistry, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
² Institute of Dental Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
³ Department of Dentistry, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Xindian, New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Abstract

Background/purpose: Probiotics might be beneficial in preventing periodontitis. Effects of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus on periodontitis were examined using the ligature-induced rat model.

Materials and methods: Thirty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, ligation, Bifidobacterium longum (BL986), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LRH09), and combination groups. Periodontitis was induced in maxillary second molars. From the day before ligation, phosphate-buffered saline (for control and ligation groups) or probiotics (2 × 10⁹ CFU/g for probiotic groups) were fed daily. On day 8, gingival mRNA expressions for interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tissue necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-10, and NF-κB were determined via qPCR. Micro-computed tomography (μCT) and histomorphometry were employed to examine periodontal destruction.

Results: Compared to the ligation group, mRNA of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and NF-κB in probiotic groups were significantly decreased, but IL-10 was increased. Besides, the IL-10 was more significant in the combination group than in single-use group. Through μCT, the cementoenamel junction (CEJ)-to-bone distance and trabecular separation in combination group were less than that in ligation group, although the bone volume fraction and trabecular number/thickness showed an increase in three probiotic groups. Histopathologically, the combination group had significantly smaller gingival inflammatory cell-infiltrated area and CEJ-to-epithelium distance than the ligation group and the group with BL986 or LRH09. Additionally, the CEJ-to-bone distance was significantly smaller in the combination group than in the ligation and BL986 groups.

Conclusion: Systemic combination of BL986 and LRH09 had a synergistic effect on enhancing IL-10 and ameliorating the induced experimental periodontitis, although the single-use still presented partially alleviative effects.

Keywords: Bone resorption; Cytokines; Periodontitis; Probiotics.