Effect of systemically-administered curcumin on periodontal repair in vivo

• Grant number: 13/05380-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): August 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Periodontology
• Principal Investigator: Morgana Rodrigues Guimarães Stabili
• Grantee: Camilla Olga Tasso
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOAr). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Curcumin, the naturally occurring yellow pigment isolated from the rhizomes of the plant Curcuma longa, has been shown to possess antioxidant, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory properties. Besides anti-inflammatory properties, curcumin has shown to stimulate healing both in vitro and in vivo. Previous studies showed curcumin can increase the neovascularization, collagen deposition and the expression of growth factors in full thickness cutaneous punch wound and indomethacin-induced gastric ulceration model. However, there are not results about the role of curcumin on periodontal experimental repair in vivo. The hypothesis of this work is that curcumin can stimulate the periodontal repair through the modulation of tissue turnover mediators. To evaluate this hypothesis we will assess the effect of curcumin on mRNA expression of TGF-², Col1a1, VEGF, vimentina and CD34 in a model of periodontal repair in rats by RT-qPCR. The effect of curcumin on the stereometry analysis of the histological characteristics of gingival tissues subjected to ligature-induced periodontal disease also will be evaluate and the proportion of inflammatory cells and other cellular components will be compared in the different experimental groups. The collagen fibers will be stained with Picrosirius and quantified.