Effect of chronic stress in newborn rats on the progression of ligature-induced-periodontitis in adulthood.

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect chronic stress in newborn rats on the progression of ligature-induced-periodontitis in adulthood. METHODS: Ten couples of adult Wistar rats were selected for mating. After birth, the female and their respective offsprings were allocated into two groups. Ligature Group (LG): offsprings were only watched during breast-feeding; Stress-ligature Group (SLG): after 24h of live birth, the offsprings were moved away from their mothers every day for four hours during breast-feeding for 20 days; in both approaches, after reaching +/- 250g, ten rats were included in the groups. Periodontal disease was induced by a silk suture placed around the maxillary right second molar. The left side was used as control. After 15 days, the animals were subjected to euthanasia, maxillary bones were removed and stored in 10% formaldehyde. After 48h, radiographs were taken and revealed and were used for bone destruction analysis. Examiner was blind and calibrated for measurements. RESULTS: Stress-ligature group presented higher bone loss values in relation to ligature group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Exposure to chronic stress imposed on offsprings produced a greater progression of bone loss induced during adulthood.