Human calculus adhesive-induced periodontitis model recapitulating human periodontitis microbiota in rats.

Abstract

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition characterized by oral dysbiosis. Current animal models of periodontitis using ligation and pathogen inoculation are time-consuming and do not reflect the chronic characteristics of human periodontitis. One of the significant differences is the difference between the current experimental animal periodontitis microbiome and human periodontitis microbiome. This study aims to establish a humanized rat model that mimics clinical conditions and approximates the microbial causes of human periodontitis.

Methods: The human calculus adhesive-induced periodontitis (hCAP) was established by transplanting subgingival dental calculus from periodontitis patients to the subgingival surface of rats using universal adhesive. The study performed stereomicroscopy, micro-CT analysis, hematoxylin and eosin staining, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining, qRT-PCR, ELISA, and 16s rDNA sequencing.

Results: The hCAP group showed significant alveolar bone loss and osteoclast formation. The inflammatory factors in gingiva and serum were dramatically increased compared to the placebo rats, revealed by qRT-PCR and ELISA. The oral microbiota of the hCAP group was found to be more similar to that of patients compared with ligation with Porphyromonas gingivalis model, with enhanced colonization of Fusobacterium nucleatum subsp. polymorphum and Prevotella intermedia. The hCAP model also detected pathogenic bacteria of systemic diseases as shown in 16s rDNA sequencing.

Conclusions: The hCAP model mimics clinical conditions, approximates the microbial causes of human periodontitis and preserve bacteria responsible for systemic diseases in the gingival area of rats. The hCAP model may help in understanding the association between periodontitis and systemic diseases.