Comparative study on icariin and Bu-Shen-Gu-Chi-Wan for alveolar reconstruction in chronic periodontitis in rats

To observe the effects of icariin (ICA) and Bu-Shen-Gu-Chi-Wan on the alveolar bone absorption of chronic periodontitis in rats, and to explore the effect and possible mechanism of ICA in the treatment of chronic periodontitis.

After the establishment of the periodontitis model, the rats were divided into the periodontitis group (group P), ICA high dose group (group H), ICA low dose group (group L) and Bu-Shen-Gu-Chi-Wan treatment group (group B). Each group received treatment for one month and two months, separately, and the serum osteocalcin (OCN) level was measured. Three-dimensional reconstruction was performed after micro computed tomography (micro CT) scanning to measure the bone parameters of specific points, and the distance between the enamel cementum boundary and alveolar crest (CEJ-ABC) was recorded as alveolar bone resorption value. Tissue sections were generated to evaluate the effect of ICA on alveolar bone repair and reconstruction in rats with experimental periodontitis.

Compared with the periodontitis group (group P), OCN levels in the serum in treatment groups (groups H, L and B) were decreased significantly (P < 0.05); the values of bone volume/tissue volume (BV/TV) and trabecular number (Tb.N) in treatment groups (groups H, L and B) were significantly higher than that in group P (P < 0.05). Compared with group P, trabecular thickness (Tb.Th) values of groups H and B significantly increased, and trabecular separation (Tb.Sp) of groups H and B significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The changing trend of parameters in group L was the same as that in group H but only after two months of administration. The difference between Tb.Sp values in groups L and P was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Compared with group P, the CEJ-ABC distance significantly reduced in group L (1 month and 2 months after administration), group H (1 month and 2 months after administration), and group B (only 2 months after administration) (P < 0.05).

ICA and Bu-Shen-Gu-Chi-Wan improve the alveolar bone resorption in an experimental model of chronic periodontitis in rats, and the mechanism may be related to the regulation of osteocalcin serum levels.