Effect of local bone marrow stromal cell administration on ligature-induced periodontitis in mice

Bone marrow-derived multipotent stromal cells (BMSCs) have potent antiinflammatory effects. This study aimed to investigate the antiinflammatory potential of BMSCs using a mouse model of ligature-induced periodontitis. BMSCs were isolated from the femurs and tibiae of mice. Periodontitis was induced by placing a ligature around the right maxillary second molar. After 3 days, the mice were administered BMSC in the gingiva of the mesial interdental papilla around the ligatured molar. The ligatured and non-ligatured mice that were not administered BMSC served as controls. Differences in inflammatory infiltration and bone resorption around the roots of the second molar were assessed and were subsequently quantified using microcomputed tomography (micro-CT), histological analysis, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. Micro-CT revealed that alveolar bone loss around the ligatured molars increased in a time-dependent manner; however, the effect was significantly less in BMSC-treated mice compared with ligatured control mice. Tissue histopathology revealed that BMSC administration mitigated inflammatory infiltration in ligatured BMSC mice. In addition, the number of TRAP-positive osteoclasts was markedly elevated in ligatured control mice compared with those in BMSC-treated mice. These findings indicate that local BMSC administration can mitigate inflammation and alveolar bone resorption, suggesting that administering BMSC leads to new therapeutics for periodontitis.