Effects of ovariectomy and aging on tooth attachment in female mice assessed by morphometric analysis

Non-human primates, dogs, rats, hamsters and ferrets, have frequently been used as laboratory animals in periodontal biology and pathology. In the past, mice have been used less for this purpose, but nowadays attract a lot of interest because gene knockout and transgenic technologies utilize mice primarily. In this study, we investigate the effects of ovariectomy and aging on tooth attachment in female mice.

Eight-week-old mice (n=15) were divided into three experimental groups (control, n=5; sham-operated, n=5; ovariectomy, n=5) and ovaries removed bilaterally. Attachment level, assessed by measuring alveolar bone height and apical termination of the junctional epithelium, was determined 6 weeks post-ovariectomy by digital morphometric analysis in sagittal sections of the mandible. The plasma level of the inflammation marker serum amyloid A (SAA) was determined by ELISA. In another series of experiments, tooth attachment was determined in female mice (n=7) at 8-26 weeks of age.

Withdrawal of female sex hormone production by ovariectomy had no effect on alveolar bone height and apical termination of the junctional epithelium. The SAA level in plasma was unaffected by removal of the ovaries, suggesting that systemic inflammation is not induced by ovariectomy. Bone height was similar in mice sacrificed at 8-26 weeks of age and apical termination of the junctional epithelium was at the cemento-enamel junction at all ages.

Removal of ovarian production of female sex hormones by ovariectomy has no influence on tooth attachment, and further tooth attachment is preserved with age in female mice.