Interrelationship Between Physical Exercise and Apical Periodontitis in Trained Rats.

Area of Science:

• Oral Biology
• Exercise Physiology
• Periodontology

Background:

• Apical periodontitis (AP) is an inflammatory condition affecting the periapical tissues of the tooth.
• The relationship between physical exercise and AP development or its impact on exercise capacity remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of physical exercise on the development of apical periodontitis in a rat model.
• To evaluate the effect of apical periodontitis on the physical exercise capacity of trained rats.

Main Methods:

• Forty male Holtzman rats were divided into four groups: exercise with AP induction, exercise without AP induction, sedentary with AP induction, and sedentary without AP induction.
• Animals underwent 11 weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic training. Apical periodontitis was induced in relevant groups by maintaining an open pulp chamber for 21 days.
• Physical capacity was assessed using maximal capacity tests (Tmax). Periapical bone resorption was evaluated via histopathological, radiological, and micro-CT analyses.

Main Results:

• Trained rats exhibited significantly higher maximal capacity (Tmax) than sedentary rats (p < 0.05).
• No significant differences in Tmax were observed between trained groups (Ex vs. Ex-AP) or sedentary groups (S vs. S-AP).
• Apical bone resorption (volume and area) and histopathological findings showed no significant differences between the sedentary AP-induced group (S-AP) and the exercise AP-induced group (Ex-AP).

Conclusions:

• Physical exercise does not influence the development of apical periodontitis in this rat model.
• Apical periodontitis does not impair the physical exercise capacity of trained rats.