Analysis of stress-strain curves in the rat molar periodontal ligament after application of orthodontic force

Orthodontic force application upregulated pain-associated prostaglandin-I2/PGI2-receptor/TRPV1 pathway-related gene expression in rat molars

This study aimed to analyze the mRNA expression and protein localization of prostaglandin I₂ (PGI₂) synthase (PGIS), the PGI₂ receptor (IP receptor) and transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 1 (TRPV1) in force-stimulated rat molars, toward the elucidation of the PGI₂-IP receptor-TRPV1 pathway that is in operation in the pulp and possibly associated with orthodontic pain and inflammation. Experimental force was applied to the maxillary first and second molars by inserting an elastic band between them for 6-72 h. PGIS, PTGIR (the IP receptor gene), and TRPV1 mRNA levels in the coronal pulp were analyzed with real-time PCR. PGIS, IP receptor, and TRPV1 proteins were immunostained. The force stimulation induced significant upregulation of PGIS at 6-24 h, and PTGIR and TRPV1 at 6 and 12 h in the pulp. PGIS was immunolocalized in odontoblasts and some fibroblasts in the force-stimulated pulp. The IP receptor and TRPV1 immunoreactivities were detected on odontoblasts and some nerve fibers. It was concluded that PGIS, PTGIR, and TRPV1 in rat molar pulp were significantly upregulated shortly after the force application, and that the IP receptor was co-expressed on TRPV1-expressing nerves and odontoblasts. These findings suggest that the PGI₂-IP receptor-TRPV1 pathway is associated with the acute phase of force-induced pulp changes involving odontoblasts and nerves.

Bone stress and strain modification in diastema closure: 3D analysis using finite element method

The aim of this study was to analyse the stress and strain distribution in the alveolar bone between two central incisors in the process of diastema closure with a constant force. A 3-dimensional computer modeling based on finite element techniques was used for this purpose. A model of an anterior segment of the mandible containing cortical bone, spongy bone, gingivae, PDL and two central incisors with a bracket in the labial surface of each tooth were designed. The von Mises stress and strain was evaluated in alveolar bone along a path of nodes defined in a cresto-apical direction in the midline between two teeth. It was observed that stress and strain of alveolar bone increased in midline with a constant force to close the diastema regardless of the type of movement in gradual steps of diastema closure, however the stress was higher in the tipping movement than the bodily so it can be suggested that a protocol of force system modification should be introduced to compensate for the stress and strain changes caused by the reduced distance to avoid the unwanted stress alteration during the diastema closure.

Mechanical strength and viscoelastic response of the periodontal ligament in relation to structure

The mechanical strength of the periodontal ligament (PDL) was first measured as force required to extract a tooth from its socket using human specimens. Thereafter, tooth-PDL-bone preparations have extensively been used for measurement of the mechanical response of the PDL. In vitro treatments of such specimens with specific enzymes allowed one to investigate into the roles of the structural components in the mechanical support of the PDL. The viscoelastic responses of the PDL may be examined by analysis of the stress-relaxation. Video polarised microscopy suggested that the collagen molecules and fibrils in the stretched fibre bundles progressively align along the deformation direction during the relaxation. The stress-relaxation process of the PDL can be well expressed by a function with three exponential decay terms. Analysis after in vitro digestion of the collagen fibres by collagenase revealed that the collagen fibre components may play an important role in the long-term relaxation component of the stress-relaxation process of the PDL. The dynamic measurements of the viscoelastic properties of the PDL have recently suggested that the PDL can absorb more energy in compression than in shear and tension. These viscoelastic mechanisms of the PDL tissue could reduce the risk of injury to the PDL.

Pulpal cellular reactions to experimental tooth movement in rats

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to study the early cellular reactions of the dental pulp during experimental tooth movement.

STUDY DESIGN

A total number of 98 male rats were used. Tooth movement was induced for 1 to 168 hours by inserting elastic bands between maxillary first and second molars of animals, which were labeled with tritiated thymidine. Pathologic signs, macrophage content, and proliferation of fibroblasts and endothelial cells were assessed histologically on autoradiographs of second molar pulps. Data were analyzed using ANOVA with Tukey's test as post hoc pairwise comparison.

RESULTS

Pathologic signs and macrophage content generally increased with time after the induction of tooth movement. The proliferation of pulpal connective tissue progenitor cells and endothelial cells increased as a reaction to the force application.

CONCLUSIONS

Force-induced tooth movement may lead to extensive, however temporary, trauma of the pulpal tissues, which react with early wound-healing events, such as macrophage invasion, cell proliferation, and angiogenesis.

Inhibition of orthodontically induced root resorption with echistatin, an RGD-containing peptide

INTRODUCTION

Induced dental root resorption is a common side effect of orthodontic treatment. It is an unpredictable phenomenon, and its etiology is unknown. Odontoclasts responsible for the resorption of the dental tissues--ie, cementum and dentin--share many cytochemical and morphological characteristics with osteoclasts, which are responsible for bone resorption. The aim of this study was to explore cellular mechanisms that decrease induced root resorption in orthodontically treated teeth.

METHODS

The effects of targeting the alphavbeta3 integrin receptor, expressed by odontoclasts, on induced root resorption surface areas and the number of root resorption lacunae were investigated by using an RGD-containing peptide, echistatin. The effect of echistatin on the number of clast cells in the periodontium was also examined. Tooth movement was achieved in 14 Sprague-Dawley rats by placing elastic bands between the right maxillary first and second molars for 24 hours. The animals were equally divided into 2 groups; the experimental animals received echistatin intravenously for 8 hours (0.8 microg/kg/min), and the controls received sterile water. The specimens obtained were processed for light microscopy. The surface area and the number of root resorption lacunae were measured histomorphometrically by using digital photomicrographs. Echistatin labeled with a fluorescent marker was used to confirm its presence in clast cells with fluorescent microscopy. Cytochemically, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase was used to quantify mature and committed clast cells. Echistatin was localized in targeted cells in the periodontium.

RESULTS

Echistatin significantly decreased root resorption surface areas (P < .01) and reduced the number of root resorption lacunae (P < .01). There was no statistically significant difference in clast cell numbers.

CONCLUSIONS

Targeting alphavbeta3 integrin receptor expressed by odontoclasts can be effective in reducing root resorption during tooth movement. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanism of this inhibition.

Cell kinetics of mechanically stimulated rat oral epithelia

OBJECTIVE

To study cell kinetics of rat gingival (GE), sulcular (SE) and junctional (JE) epithelia in the steady-state and after application of mechanical pressure.

DESIGN

Elastic bands were inserted between first and second maxillary molars of 8-week-old male rats, which were labelled with H(3) TdR and killed in groups of six to seven animals together with equal-sized groups of labelled control animals at intervals between 1 and 168 h. Autoradiographs were used to determine epithelial cell proliferation on the pressure side of M1 by calculating the percentage of (3)H TdR-labelled cells (PLC) in the basal (BL) and suprabasal (SL) layers of GE, SE and JE and to estimate median cell cycle (MCC) duration of BL cells by plotting mean and median grain counts against time.

RESULTS

(3)H TdR-labelled cells were present in SL of SE and JE 1-12h after isotope injection suggesting that the BL might be not the only source of progenitor cells for JE as they might also be derived through migration from adjacent SE. Application of pressure significantly (ANOVA, P<0.05) reduced PLC in BL of GE, SE and JE indicating a decrease of cell proliferation after 1-12h in response to pressure. In steady-state, the MCC durations of BL cells of GE, SE and JE were 39, 14 and 9h, respectively. After application of pressure, they increased significantly (chi(2)-test, P<0.05) to 48, 44 and 34 h, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Sustained pressure may lead to reduction of proliferative activity of these epithelia inducing slower progression of progenitor cells through the cell cycle.

Effects of mechanical stimulation on cell cycle duration in rat gingival fibroblast progenitor cells

The aim of this investigation was to estimate cell cycle duration in rat gingival fibroblast progenitor cells in steady-state control and during sustained mechanical stimulation. Elastics (0.15 mm thick) were inserted between maxillary M1 and M2 of 8 wk-old male rats which were labelled with H3-TdR and killed in groups of 6-7 animals together with equal-sized groups of labelled control animals at intervals between 1-168 h. Autoradiographs of consecutive mesio-distal sections were used to determine grain counts for H3-TdR-labelled cells in the connective tissue of the gingival papilla between M2 and M3. Median cell cycle times (MCC) were estimated from plots of mean and median grain counts against time. Under steady-state conditions, MCC for heavily-labelled and lightly-labelled paravascular cell populations and for labelled extravascular cells were 144, 76 and 50 h, respectively. Mechanical stimulation caused a significantly faster rate of reduction of total grain counts relative to controls in all three cell populations and a decline of estimated MCC to 115, 50 and 21 h in heavily labelled and lightly labelled paravascular cells and labelled extravascular cells, respectively. These findings indicate that mechanical stimulation induces faster progression of gingival fibroblast progenitor cells through the cell cycle.

Time-dependent mechanical behaviour of the periodontal ligament

The process of tooth displacement in response to orthodontic forces is thought to be induced by the stresses and strains in the periodontium. The mechanical force on the tooth is transmitted to the alveolar bone through a layer of soft connective tissue, the periodontal ligament. Stress and/or strain distribution in this layer must be derived from mathematical models, such as the finite element method, because it cannot be measured directly in a non-destructive way. The material behaviour of the constituent tissues is required as an input for such a model. The purpose of this study was to determine the time-dependent mechanical behaviour of the periodontal ligament due to orthodontic loading of a tooth. Therefore, in vivo experiments were performed on beagle dogs. The experimental configuration was simulated in a finite element model to estimate the poroelastic material properties for the periodontal ligament. The experiments showed a two-step response: an instantaneous displacement of 14.10 +/- 3.21 microns within 4 s and a more gradual (creep) displacement reaching a maximum of 60.00 +/- 9.92 microns after 5 h. This response fitted excellently in the finite element model when 21 per cent of the ligament volume was assigned a permeability of 1.0 x 10(-14) m4/N s, the remaining 97 per cent was assigned a permeability of 2.5 x 10(-17) m4/N s. A tissue elastic modulus of 0.015 +/- 0.001 MPa was estimated. Our results indicate that fluid compartments within the periodontal ligament play an important role in the transmission and damping of forces acting on teeth.

Effect of repeated orthodontic treatment on the dental and periodontal tissues of the rat incisor

This study evaluated the response of treated teeth to renewed orthodontic force. Thirty female rats (201 +/- 2.7 g) were divided into groups A and B. Linguointrusive loads (20.58 +/- 1.88 g) generated by springs were applied to the lower left incisor for 2 weeks and then removed to allow recovery during 27 weeks (group A). Identical loading was then repeated in group A and applied as primary treatment in group B. Five animals from each group were killed with the springs in situ (A-1 and B-1), while the remaining 20 animals were killed after a 3-month recovery (A-2, B-2). The decalcified incisors were cross-sectioned serially (2 microm), and the distance of each section from the apex was computed. Dental and periodontal injuries were evaluated by light microscopy and plotted according to their location on the tooth axis. The intrusion of the teeth in group A-1 was significantly greater, whereas recovery of the normal eruption rate in group A-2 was significantly slower compared with groups B-1 and B-2. The histopathologic lesions in groups A-1 and B-1 did not differ. However, group A-2 showed a higher frequency of injured enamel organ, tissue infiltration by inflammatory cells, necrotic areas, and dentin resorption than group B-2. Initial orthodontic loading had a detrimental effect on the ability of the periodontal and dental tissues to cope with, and to recover from, repeated stress, probably because of a decrease in the number of periodontal fibroblasts and damage to the dentin-protecting cementoblastic layer.

Histomorphometric study of bone reactions during orthodontic tooth movement in rats

The biological response to orthodontic tooth movement has generally focused on reactions within the periodontal ligament (PDL), whereas less attention has been paid to the behavior of neighboring bone. The purpose of the study was to describe the influence of orthodontic force on bone surrounding the displaced tooth and the adjacent, untreated teeth. Bone changes in relation to treatment time and different sites were investigated. A mesial tipping of the left maxillary first molar was obtained from 54 adult male Wistar rats. Oxytetracycline was injected subcutaneously 48 h before killing, which took place after 4, 7, or 14 days. The maxilla was fixed in paraformaldehyde and embedded undecalcified in methylmethacrylate. A set of thick horizontal sections was taken from the cervical, intermediate, and apical levels of the roots. The sections were microradiographed and analyzed microscopically under bright-field and fluorescent illumination. Bone fraction and PDL width was measured using a Zeiss Videoplan device equipped with an overlay system. New bone formation was detected by oxytetracycline labels. The analysis showed a consistent, significant decrease of the alveolar bone fraction around both displaced and adjacent teeth at all treatment times. Apposition, indicated by the tetracycline uptake, was found on the periosteal side of the treated hemimaxilla and, after 14 days, also on the surface toward which the tooth was moving and around the adjacent teeth. These results suggest that a time rather than a space relationship exists between bone resorption and formation and that the whole hemimaxilla reacts to the mechanical challenge, resembling the regional acceleratory phenomenon (RAP) observed in other circumstances.

Computer experiments using a two-dimensional model of tooth support

The purpose of this investigation was to study the factors that may affect the position of the center of resistance and center of rotation. A two-dimensional computer model of the periodontal ligament was developed. The model permitted the simulation of an isotropic (responding in the same manner regardless of the direction of the applied force) and nonisotropic periodontal ligament and allowed changes in root shape and in position and direction of force application. The center of resistance was found to depend on the distribution of root surface area. For a model of the upper central incisor, it was located at 42% of the root length measured from the alveolar crest. The presence of anisotropy in the periodontal ligament significantly affected the position of the center of resistance, which was in this case also affected by the direction of the applied force. Forces passing through the center of resistance produced translation of the modeled tooth in a direction not necessarily the same as the direction of the applied force. Tipping forces produced much larger stresses than forces causing translation. Simulation of periodontal involvement resulting in loss of attachment increased the stresses exerted on the periodontal ligament. The model permitted easy assessment of various factors that may influence the position of the center of resistance of teeth and revealed a potentially large variability in the position of the center of resistance and center of rotation, caused by variation of the properties of the periodontal ligament.