Periodontal Disease Decreases Insulin Sensitivity and Insulin Signaling

Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate whether local inflammatory events, such as periodontal disease, are able to increase tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) plasmatic concentration and decrease insulin sensitivity and insulin signaling in non-diabetic rats.Methods: Forty-eight male Wistar rats (2 months old) were divided into two groups, with either ligature-induced periodontal disease (LPD) or control conditions (CN). Experiments were performed in both groups 28 days after ligature placement. Plasmatic concentration of glycemia and TNF-α (n = 10) were analyzed by the glucose oxidase and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method, respectively. Insulin sensitivity (n = 7) was measured using the insulin tolerance test. Insulin signal transduction (n = 7) was measured by pp185 tyrosine phosphorylation status in insulin-sensitive tissues using the Western blotting method.Results: The LPD group showed decreased insulin sensitivity (P 0....