Abstract
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Background: The health of the gingival tissue has an important effect on the general health. Defensins are proteins found in humans as well as other vertebrates. They have antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal functions.
Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to assess expression of beta defensin on the gingival epithelium in rats.
Methods and materials: A 30 adult Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into 3 equal groups (n=10), 5 rats for experimental study and other fives as control within each group. Ligatures were placed in the inferior frontal group which acted as a gingival irritant. Scarifications were done after 3 days, one week and two weeks alternative. The levels of defensins were tested in the gingival tissue of all rats.
Results: the expression of β defensin 2 showed that there is a statistically significant difference in immunolocalization of Defensin-2 percentage between the 1st group (after 3 days) and control one (P ≤ 0.05), while there is a highly statistical difference when comparing both the 2nd (after 1 week) and third group (after 2 weeks) versus control group (P ≤ 0.01).
Conclusions: From the present work, it may assume that, the rat model may be a good system for experimental analysis of the innate immune response to the bacteria in the oral cavity, as well as the potential role of β -defensins in the host response to colonization