Effects of oestrogen deficiency on osteoclastogenesis in the rat periodontium

This study was designed to investigate quantitative changes in osteoclast generation in rat periodontium following ovariectomy. Wistar rats, aged 9 weeks, were subjected to either ovariectomy (OVX) or sham surgery. Osmotic pumps were implanted in 24 rats and either 17beta-oestradiol or vehicle solution were infused continuously. The rats were assigned to one of the following groups: (1) OVX+vehicle; (2) sham+vehicle; or (3) OVX+ 17beta-oestradiol. On the days 7 and 14 after surgery, four rats in each group were killed. Mandibles were demineralized and embedded in paraffin. Frontal sections of alveolar bone in the region of the first molar were cut for enzyme histochemistry and immunohistochemistry. On day 7, there was no significant difference in the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive cells located on bone surfaces in either group. However, the number of TRAP-positive mononuclear cells that were separated from the bone surface was significantly higher in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3. On the day 14, the number of TRAP-positive cells in group 1, which were attached to the bone surface, was significantly higher than had been apparent on day 7. There were also significant increases in the number of nuclei of TRAP-positive cells attached to the bone in group 1 compared with groups 2 and 3 on day 14. These findings demonstrate that oestrogen deficiency induces of osteoclastogenesis in the rat periodontium and that quantitative changes in osteoclastogenesis could be prevented by E2 infusion.