The Impact of Testosterone Suppression on Dental Structures: An In vivo Study

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of testosterone (T) suppression during puberty on the development of dental, periodontal and alveolar structures in rats.

Materials and Methods: Thirty-six Wistar rats were selected for this study. Orchiectomy (ORX) was performed on the animals of the experimental group (n=18) and sham surgery on the animals of the control group (n=18) on the 23rd day of life. The animals were allocated into 4 groups: an ORX group (n=9) and a sham group (n=9) euthanized at 45 days of age, and the other ORX group (n=9) and the other sham (n=9) euthanized at 73 days of age. After the experimental period, the animals were euthanized and the mandibles and maxillas were removed, dissected and fixed in 10% formalin, decalcified, cut at 7 µm and stained with hematoxylin and eosin and picrosirius red. Qualitative analysis of slides stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin were performed, while collagen synthesis obtained from slides stained with Red Silver was quantitatively evaluated using ImageJ software. Collagen synthesis was compared between groups using the student's t test using the IBM SPSS software.

Results: Histologically, the animals submitted to orchiectomy showed variations in the periodontal region, immature alveolar bone and periodontal ligament with the presence of atypical fat cells, in the dental structures, hyperemic pulp with calcification points (nodules) and variation in the arrangement and shape of the odontoblasts, with considerable significance when compared with the animals of the Sham group.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the testosterone suppression induces changes in the differentiation of cells that form the tissues of dental and alveolar structures, through the incidence of pulp alterations, presence of atypical cells in the periodontal ligament and delay in the neoformation of alveolar bone in rats during puberty.