Alterations in the periodontium after ovariectomy in rats: the effects of a Japanese herbal medicine, Chujo-to.

Ovariectomy-induced changes on the periodontium (gingiva, alveolar bone, and periodontal ligament) in rats and the preventive effects of a Japanese herbal medicine, Chujo-to, were studied for a period of 49 days. The rats were divided into five groups: sham-operated (sham), ovariectomized (OVX), OVX given Chujo-to, OVX given 17β-oestradiol, and OVX given the vehicle for 17β-oestradiol, respectively. After the test period, the bone mineral content (BMC) of the mandibular condyle in OVX rats was similar to those in both sham rats and the OVX rats treated with either Chujo-to or 17β-oestradiol. However, the scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analyses revealed that the periodontal ligament of the OVX rats and the OVX rats treated with Chujo-to became more coarse than that of the sham rats or the rats treated with 17β-oestradiol. The surface of the alveolar bone in the OVX rats appeared to contain numerous small granules, which were not present in the sham rats and the rats treated with either Chujo-to or 17β-oestradiol. These results suggest that ovariectomy caused alterations in the peridontium, but Chujo-to had a preventive effect on the surface architecture of the alveolar bones.