RESUMO

BACKGROUND: Alcohol intake is associated with oral diseases and bone changes including alveolar bone loss in humans and in experimental animals. The main aim of the present study is to assess the effect of long-term alcohol intake, at different frequencies, on periodontal bone loss (PBL) in adult rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-six (36) rats were divided into 3 groups: Control (daily water intake, n=12), daily alcohol intake (20% ethanol, n=12), and social alcohol intake (20% ethanol twice a week, n=12). The rats were sacrificed after 90 days and their right maxillae were removed. Initially, a random portion from each group was analyzed through SEM (scanning electron microscope) to assess surface topography. Next, all pieces were dissected and stained with methylene blue 1% and photographed in stereomicroscope at 10x magnification. The PBL was assessed by measuring the distance between cement-enamel junction and alveolar bone crest. RESULTS: Results showed higher (p=0.0368) alcohol solution amount in the daily intake group than in the twice week intake one. The SEM showed qualitatively flat bone surface in the control group, the social intake group presented surface with few minor hollows, and the daily intake group evidenced increased number and diameter of wells. The comparison between groups showed higher bone loss (p<0.05) in both frequencies than in the control, but the bone loss was lower (p<0.05) in the social alcohol intake group than in the daily intake one. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol intake may cause alveolar bone loss in periodontitis-free rats depending on the frequency. Key words:Alcohol intake, alveolar bone loss, alcohol-induced periodontitis, alcoholic rats.

RESUMO

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of an alcohol diet on Streptococcus of the mutans group and on dental caries in the oral cavity of rats. Forty animals were divided into 3 groups according to the following liquid diets: 20% ethanol solution (Alcohol Group, AG), 27% sucrose solution (Isocaloric Group, IG), and water (Control Group, CG). After 56 days, samples were collected and plated on Mitis Salivarius Bacitracin agar to assess the number of colony forming units (CFU/mL) of Streptococcus of the mutans group. The animals were sacrificed and the jaws were removed in order to assess the occurrence of dental caries on the smooth and occlusal surfaces using stereomicroscopy. The data were submitted to ANOVA and Tukey test. The average numbers of CFU/mL (10(3)) were: 8.17 (AG), 9.78 (IG), and 5.63 (CG). There was no significant difference among the groups for the occurrence of occlusal caries. Regarding smooth surface caries, in the upper jaw, the caries number in the IG (1.58) was similar to that in the AG (2.06) and in the CG (1.14), and the number of caries in the AG was higher than in the CG; in the lower jaw there was significant difference among the 3 groups: AG (1.14), IG (2.00) and CG (0.43). The diets with the alcohol and sucrose solutions presented a tendency of increasing the colonization by Streptococcus of the mutans group and of increasing the occurrence of smooth surface dental caries in rat molars when compared to the control diet.

Assuntos

Alcoolismo/complicações , Cárie Dentária/etiologia , Dieta , Carboidratos da Dieta/farmacologia , Etanol/farmacologia , Mucosa Bucal/microbiologia , Streptococcus mutans/efeitos dos fármacos , Consumo de Bebidas Alcoólicas/efeitos adversos , Análise de Variância , Animais , Contagem de Colônia Microbiana , Cárie Dentária/microbiologia , Cárie Dentária/patologia , Ratos , Ratos Wistar , Saliva , Sacarose

RESUMO

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the alcohol consumption on the periodontal bone support (PBS) in experimental periodontitis in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-three male rats were divided into seven groups: G1 (control); G2 (10% ethanol); G3 (nutritional control of G2); G4 (20% ethanol); G5 (nutritional control of G4); G6 (30% ethanol) and G7 (nutritional control of G6). The groups G3, G5 and G7 received controlled diets with equivalent caloric amounts to those consumed in G2, G4 and G6 respectively, with the ethanol replaced by sucrose. After anesthesia, ligatures were installed around the mandibular first molar, leaving the contralateral teeth unligated. After 8 weeks, the rats were killed and their mandibles were radiographed to measure the percentage of PBS on the distal aspect. RESULTS: The intragroup analyses showed that presence of ligatures induced periodontitis (p<0.05). Unligated groups did not show significant differences among the percentages of PBS (p=0.1969). However, in ligated groups the rats that received alcohol (G2:48.71%+/-3.88; G4:47.66%+/-2.54; G6:47.32%+/-3.24) and the nutritional control group associated with a high concentration of ethanol (G7:47.40%+/-3.24) presented a significantly lower percentage of PBS than the other groups (G1:52.40%+/-2.75; G3:52.83%+/-2.41; G5:50.85%+/-4.14). CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that alcohol consumption in rats may result in a direct effect on alveolar bone loss and increased development of periodontitis. In addition, they suggest that heavy caloric consumption of ethanol may also present an indirect effect on periodontal tissue as a consequence of malnutrition.