Manipulations in Maternal Environment Reverse Periodontitis in Genetically Predisposed Rats

The predisposition to develop periodontitis is partly genetically determined in humans as well as in animals. Here we demonstrate, however, that early manipulations in the maternal environment of an animal (rat) model of periodontitis can fully reverse the genetic predisposition to develop periodontitis at adult age. Periodontitis is a disease of the tooth-supporting tissues that, in the most severe cases, leads to the loss of teeth. The starting point is an abundant growth of naturally occurring gram-neg-ative anaerobic bacteria. Most of the tissue destruction, how-ever, seems to be caused by components released by immune cells in response to the overgrowth of these microorganisms (13). Hence, the bacteria trigger the disease, but immune re-actions seem to be responsible for the tissue damage and the outcome and progression of the disease. Studies with humans (14) and animals (1, 2) have demonstrated that individuals differ considerably in their predisposition to periodontitis and that this variation is partly genetic