Histomorphometric analysis of the effect of ozone therapy on peri-implant repair in rats treated with zoledronic acid

• Grant number: 25/07918-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Master's degree
• Start date: August 08, 2025
• End date: December 07, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry
• Principal Investigator: Francisley Ávila Souza
• Grantee: Mateus Torres e Silva
• Supervisor: Reinhard Gruber
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Medical University of Vienna, Austria
• Associated to the scholarship: 24/11004-1 - In vivo study of the effect of different ozone presentations on peri-implant repair in rats treated with zoledronic acid., BP.MS

Abstract

The aim of this project is to evaluate the effects of ozone therapy in the prevention of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) and peri-implant bone repair in rats treated with zoledronic acid (ZA), through histomorphometric analysis. Forty male Wistar rats were used and received four applications of ZA (0.035 mg/kg) via the caudal route, with intervals of 15 days. After extraction of the first mandibular right molar, the implants were immediately installed and the animals were divided into five groups (n=8) according to the following therapies: control group (saline solution), ZA without ozone, gaseous ozone (60 µg/mL), ozonated oil (0.1 mL), and a combination of gaseous ozone and ozonated oil. Ozone therapies were applied to the peri-implant mucosa every four days for four weeks. At 14 and 24 days post-surgery, fluorochromes (calcein and alizarin red) were administered for epifluorescence analysis. Euthanasia occurred 28 days after surgery. The calcified specimens will be embedded in light-cured resin and processed following the EXAKT cutting system protocol. The sections will be stained with Levai-Laczko and scanned to measure newly formed bone tissue per tissue volume (nBV/TV), old cortical bone per tissue volume (oBV/TV), and bone-to-implant contact (BIC) in the region of interest (ROI). Subsequently, bone dynamics will be assessed via epifluorescence analysis. Statistical analyses will be performed using a significance level of 5% (p<0.05).