Evaluation of the effects of melatonin and vitamin D on wound healing in immunosuppressive rats following tooth extraction.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of melatonin (MLT) and paricalcitol (PRC) on the healing of the extraction socket following tooth extraction in rats with cyclosporine-A (CsA).

Material and methods: 76 male Wistar rats were divided into five different groups, one of which was a control (C) group. All groups other than the control group were applied CsA (10 mg/kg/daily) intraperitoneally 7 days before the tooth extraction. The left upper incisors were extracted on day 8 and CsA injections were continued in all groups until sacrification. Starting from the day of tooth extraction, in group 1 (CsA) were given CsA, in group 2 (CsA+MLT) were applied intraperitoneal MLT injection in a dose of 4 mg/kg, in group 3 (CsA+PRC) were applied intraperitoneal PRC injection in a dose of 200 ng/kg, and in group 4 (CsA+MLT+PRC) were applied intraperitoneal PRC injection and intraperitoneal MLT until the day of sacrification of all groups. The subjects were sacrificed on day 7 and 14 following tooth extraction. For histopathological examination, the subjects stained Hemotoxylin-Eosin and evaluated histologically under the light microscope. The intensity of inflammation in extraction socket was scored based on a four-grade system.

Results: The level of inflammation was found to be lower in group C on day 7, while the inflammation value was found to be higher in the group 1 on day 14 (p>0.05). Statistically significant differences were found in the ossification values on day 7 between the groups(p<0.05). The percentage of ossification on day 7 was significantly lower in the group 1 than in the C and group 3, and significantly lower in the group 2 than in the group 3. The percentage of ossification on day 14 in the group 1 was significantly lower than in group C (p<0.05).

Conclusions: CsA has a negative effect on bone healing. The application of MLT and PRC following the toxicity produced by CsA was found to positively affect the healing of the socket that develops after tooth extraction.