Preliminary study on the involvement of platelets in mouse experimental periodontitis

Background/purpose: Although some studies have taken an interest in the participation of platelets in periodontitis, so far, we know very little about the roles of platelets in periodontitis. The objective of this study is to explore the involvement of platelets in the development of experimental periodontitis in mice. Materials and methods: Twenty C57BL/6 male mice were used for this study. Experimental periodontitis models of mice were constructed by ligating for 1, 3, 7, and 14 days, respectively. Morphological changes in the alveolar bone were assessed by micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT). The gingival crevicular fluid samples of ligation sites were collected and stained by immunocytochemistry. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect platelets infiltration in gingival tissues of mice. Results: The results of Micro-CT showed that with the extension of ligation time, alveolar bone resorption increased, suggesting that the experimental periodontitis models were established. Immunochemical staining showed that there were almost no platelets in the gingival crevicular fluid of mice ligated for 1 and 3 days. And at 7 and 14 days of ligation, a large number of platelets were present in the gingival crevicular fluid and formed complexes with neutrophils. And with the extension of ligation time, the extent of platelet infiltration increased in mice gingival tissues. Conclusion: Platelets were infiltrated increasedly in the gingival sulcus and gingival tissues following the experimental time, and may participate in the development of mouse experimental periodontitis.