Dietary Salt Accelerates Orthodontic Tooth Movement by Increased Osteoclast Activity

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Cell Biology
• Orthodontics

Background:

• Dietary salt influences tissue sodium levels, affecting cellular functions like macrophages and fibroblasts.
• Nuclear factor of activated T-cells-5 (NFAT-5) is implicated in salt's effects on bone metabolism and periodontal ligament fibroblasts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of dietary salt and NFAT-5 on osteoclast activity and orthodontic tooth movement (OTM).

Main Methods:

• Osteoclasts were treated with normal (NS) or high salt (HS) to analyze gene expression and resorption markers.
• Wild-type and NFAT-5 deficient mice were subjected to HS diets and OTM induction to assess bone metabolism and tooth movement.

Main Results:

• High salt (HS) treatment increased osteoclast activity, periodontal bone loss, and OTM, while reducing bone density.
• NFAT-5 deficiency increased osteoclast activity under normal salt (NS) but impaired OTM in the presence of HS.

Conclusions:

• Dietary salt accelerates OTM and periodontal bone loss, likely via enhanced osteoclast activity and reduced bone density.
• NFAT-5 modulates the cellular response to high salt, influencing osteoclast activity and OTM outcomes.