Osteoporosis model rats show improved healing with FGF-2 treatment

A study investigating the effects of local application of fibroblast growth factor (FGF-2) on periodontal healing in osteoporosis model rats was presented at the 102^nd General Session of the IADR, which was held in conjunction with the 53^rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research and the 48^th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, on March 13-16, 2024, in New Orleans, LA, USA. 

The abstract, "FGF-2 Promotes Periodontal Healing in an Osteoporosis Model Rat" was presented during the "Periodontal Treatment Effects and Implant Therapy" Poster Session that took place on Thursday, March 14, 2024 at 3:45 p.m. Central Standard Time (UTC-6). 

The study, by Shinta Mori of Tokyo Dental College, Japan, assigned Wistar rats to an ovariectomy (OVX) -induced osteoporosis group or control group. The control group underwent a sham operation. At 8 weeks post-OVX, trabecular bone structure of the femur was analyzed to confirm the osteoporotic condition. Subsequently, standardized periodontal defects were surgically created in maxilla. The defects in each group received FGF-2 or left untreated. At 2 weeks post-periodontal surgery, we evaluated periodontal healing through histological observations (H-E staining) and micro-CT analysis.

By analyzing of the trabecular bone structure in the femur, we confirmed the osteoporotic condition. In histological analysis of periodontal healing at two weeks post-surgery, FGF-2-treated defects showed a greater level of newly formed bone compared with non-treated defects, in both OVX and control groups. At two weeks, bone volume fraction of FGF-2-treated defects (OVX ; 16.3 ± 5.0%, control ; 20.5 ± 4.2%) was significantly greater than non-treated defects (10.2 ± 3.6%, 13.7 ± 5.1%) (p < 0.001). Similarly, trabecular number of FGF-2 treated defects (OVX ; 2.0 ± 0.4 /mm, control ; 2.2 ± 0.2 /mm) was significantly greater than non-treated defects (1.4 ± 0.4 /mm, 1.7 ± 0.5 /mm) (p < 0.01).

The application of FGF-2 resulted in increased bone volume fraction, trabecular number, and formation of newly formed bone in the defects of OVX and control groups at 2 weeks. Within the limitation of short-term observation, FGF-2 seems to enhance periodontal healing, even under osteoporotic condition.