Topical administration of simvastatin recovers alveolar bone loss in rats
1Department of Periodontology and Endodontology, Oral and Maxillofacial Dentistry, Division of Medico-Dental Dynamics and Reconstruction, Institute of Health Biosciences, University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan.
Background And Objective:
Simvastatin, a cholesterol-lowering drug, has been reported to show anabolic effects on bone metabolism. We examined the effects of simvastatin in vitro using cultured rat calvaria cells and in vivo using periodontitis-induced rats.
Material And Methods:
Alkaline phosphatase activity and bone nodule formation were measured in cultured rat calvaria cells. Nylon ligature was placed around the maxillary molars of Fischer male rats for 20 d to induce alveolar bone resorption. After ligature removal, simvastatin was topically injected into the buccal gingivae for 70 d and then microcomputed tomography and histological examinations were performed.
Results:
Simvastatin maintained high alkaline phosphatase activity and increased bone nodule formation in rat calvaria cells in a dose-dependent manner, showing that simvastatin increased and maintained a high level of osteoblastic function. Microcomputed tomography images revealed that treatment with simvastatin recovered the ligature-induced alveolar bone resorption, showing a 46% reversal of bone height. Histological examination clarified that low-mineralized alveolar bone was formed in simvastatin-treated rats.
Conclusion:
These findings demonstrate that simvastatin has the potential to stimulate osteoblastic function and that topical administration of simvastatin may be effective for the recovery of alveolar bone loss in rats.
