Effects of Hyperlipidemia on Progression of Periodontitis in Rats

Objectives: Several studies have reported that epidemiological associations between periodontitis and hyperlipidemia. The present study evaluated the effects of hyperlipidemia on progression of periodontitis in rats. Methods: Eight male Wistar rats were used in this 8-week experiment. The animals were divided into two different groups. One group (control group) was fed the regular diet and the other group (hyperlipidemia group) received the regular diet supplemented with 1% cholesterol and 0.5% sodium cholate. After 4 weeks from the start of experiment, both groups received the topical application of lipopolysaccharide and proteases into gingival sulcus once a day for 4 weeks. Results: Feeding rats with high cholesterol diet induced changes in serum lipids, including an increase in total cholesterol and a decrease in high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Hyperlipidemia group showed apical migration of the junctional epithelium (JE) more than the control group. Higher density of proliferating cell nuclear antigen positive basal cells of the JE was also observed in the hyperlipidemia group than in the control group. Conclusions: Hyperlipidemia could progress apical migration of JE, with increasing cell proliferative activity in rat periodontium.