Leukotrienes in orthodontic tooth movement

Prostaglandins (PGs) and leukotrienes (LTs) are products of arachidonic acid conversion. PGs have an established role in mediating orthodontic tooth movement. The role of LTs in modulating or mediating orthodontic tooth movement was investigated in this study. One hundred thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were used; the animals weighed 300 to 400 gm with equal numbers of male and female rats. They were divided into five main groups of 24 animals each and a sham group of 12 animals. An orthodontic appliance was placed and activated on all the animals except the sham group; in this group the appliances were not active. Each main group was given one of the following treatments daily: distilled water, 5% gum arabic solution, PG synthesis inhibitor indomethacin, LT synthesis inhibitor AA861, and a combination of both drugs. Each group was divided into six subgroups of four animals; the animals were killed at either 1, 3, 5, 7, 19, or 14 days, and tooth movement measured. The three sham subgroups received distilled water and were killed at 1, 7, or 10 days. The first maxillary molar (the moved tooth) and surrounding tissues were removed from all animals in the sham group and the subgroups killed at 1, 7, and 10 days in the gum arabic solution group and the LT synthesis inhibitor group. Prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and leukotriene B₄ (LTB₄) were extracted, measured with radioimmunoassay (RIA), and standardized per milligram of protein in the sample. A significant inhibition of tooth movement occurred beginning on day 7 in the indomethacin, AA861, and combination groups; there was no significant difference among these groups. The leukotriene inhibitor AA861 caused a significant LTB₄ inhibition and a significant increase in PGE₂ production. These findings suggest that LTs might have a role in mediating orthodontic tooth movement.