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Updated: Nov 1, 2025
Inducing Apical Periodontitis in Mice
Published on: August 6, 2019
Role of experimental periodontitis in inducing pulmonary inflammation in mice
Huan Tian1, Zheng Zhang2, Xueyuan Wang1
1Department of Stomatology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Objective:
The aim of the study was to explore the potential role of experimental periodontitis in pulmonary inflammation in mice.
Materials And Methods:
Mice were divided into control, ligature-induced periodontitis (L) and ligature plus Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis)-induced periodontitis (LPG) groups. Alveolar bone resorption, pulmonary function, lung tissue histology and cytokine expression were examined at 2, 4 and 8 weeks. Then cytokines and neutrophils in the peripheral blood and lung tissue were further assessed at 8 weeks to determine the role of cytokines induced by LPG periodontitis, and the effect of P. gingivalis was evaluated using P. gingivalis-IgG and P. gingivalis gingipain.
Results:
Alveolar bone resorption was more severe in the L and LPG groups. However, pulmonary inflammation was observed only in the LPG group at 8 weeks when cytokines and neutrophils in the peripheral blood and lung tissue were the most significant elevation, along with higher levels of P. gingivalis-IgG and P. gingivalis gingipain. Cytokine levels were also increased in the gingival tissue, peripheral blood and lung tissue in the L group, accompanied by elevated peripheral blood neutrophils, but not as significantly as that in the LPG group.
Conclusions:
LPG periodontitis can trigger pulmonary inflammation over the long term, in which cytokines and P. gingivalis play an important role.
