Effect of mesenchymal stem cells with platelet-rich plasma carriers on bone formation after rapid maxillary expansion: An Animal Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) with or without platelet-rich plasma (PRP) carriers on sutural new bone formation after rapid palatal expansion (RPE). SETTINGS AND SAMPLE POPULATION: Sixty male Wistar rats were used in this study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All samples were subjected to 50cN of palatal expansion force for 7 days followed by 3 weeks of the retention period. The experimental groups received a single-dose injection of the specified solution at the time of retainer placement (BMSCs, PRP, BMSCs+PRP, normal saline). BMSCs used in this study were marked with the green fluorescent protein (GFP). New bone formation (NBF) in the sutural area was evaluated by µCT and occlusal radiography. In addition, semi-quantitative analyses were performed on histology images to analyse the quality of sutural bone, connective tissue and vascularization. Immunohistochemistry analyses were conducted for osteocalcin and collagen type I proteins. RESULTS: After the 21-day retention period, limited GFP marked cells were detected around the sutural area. Samples treated with BMSCs + PRP had the highest NBF and showed higher expression of collagen type I and osteocalcin. CONCLUSION: Injecting BMSCs + PRP may increase sutural bone density significantly. However, injecting BMSCs or PRP carriers alone did not affect sutural bone density.

Effect of mesenchymal stem cells injection and low-level laser therapy on bone formation after rapid maxillary expansion: an animal study.

INTRODUCTION: One of the most common orthodontic problems is maxillary constriction, which is mostly treated by rapid palatal expansion (RPE). However, its high rate of relapse and prolonged retention period have led to some challenges for orthodontists. To encounter these issues, accelerating bone regeneration can provide long-term stability of expanded maxilla. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT), bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and their combination on promoting bone regeneration of the inter-maxillary suture after RPE in rats. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Total of 60 rats went under RPE treatment. After 7 days, retention period started and interventions (group A, Control (saline); group B, LLLT; group C, BMSCs; group D, LLLT + BMSCs) were performed in the sutural area. After 21 days, radiographic and histological analyses were done. Histological analyses were conducted to evaluate the following criteria of the newly formed bone: the number of osteoblasts, new bone formation, vascularization, connective tissue. Moreover, sutural width was assessed in histologic images. To evaluate bone density at suture area, gray scale and Hounsfield Unit values were measured based on the occlusal radiographic and Micro-Computed topography images respectively. RESULTS: Only in group C and D, osteoblasts and new bone formation were observed in all of the samples. There were no significant differences among the study groups regarding the post-treatment sutural width (P > 0.05). In the radiographic analysis, only group D showed more bone density compared to the control group (P = 0.022). Similarly, in micro-CT analysis, the most bone density was observed in group D which was significantly more than the control group (P = 0.013). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the application of LLLT and BMSCs is the most beneficial approach in accelerating bone regeneration in the inter-maxillary suture.

Comparison of Single and Multiple Low-Level Laser Applications After Rapid Palatal Expansion on Bone Regeneration in Rats.

Introduction: This study was performed to compare the effects of single and multiple irradiations of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on bone regeneration in a mid-palatal suture following rapid palatal expansion (RPE). Methods: In this animal study, 40 male Wistar rats underwent RPE for 7 days and were divided into 4 groups including A: single LLLT on day 7, B: Multiple LLLT on days 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15, C: control (no LLLT), and D: sacrificed on day 7. Animals in group D were used to determine the amount of suture expansion. LLLT was done by a diode laser set at an 808 nm wavelength with a useful power output of 100 mW and duration of 0.1 ms. LLLT was applied to three points. After three weeks of retention, the rats were sacrificed and beheaded and the maxilla was evaluated by occlusal radiography, µ-CT, and histomorphometric analyses. A comparison of the mean measurements between the groups was performed using ANOVA and the Tukey post hoc test. Results: Based on occlusal radiography and µCT, bone density in group B was significantly higher than group A and group C (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in bone density between group A and group C (P>0.05). Mean suture width (MSW) in group B was significantly lesser than the control group (P=0.027) while there was no significant difference between MSWnin groups A and B (P=0.116) and groups A and C (P=0.317). Conclusion: It may be concluded that multiple low-power laser irradiation improves bone regeneration after RPE while single irradiation does not have a positive effect.