THE AIM OF THE STUDY

To study in vivo the biological properties of simvastatin and pentoxifylline and their ability to potentiate the action of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) for bone tissue regeneration in conditions of simulated postmenopausal osteoporosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was performed on 60 female Wistar rats. To create conditions that provoke the development of osteoporosis, 30 rats underwent ovariectomy; 30 animals underwent false ovariectomy without removing the ovaries. After 8 weeks, changes in the levels of osteoporosis markers, osteocalcin (OCN) and type I collagen C-telopeptide (CTX-1), in blood serum were assessed in all animals by enzyme immunoassay. To assess the osteoinductive properties, all animals underwent subcutaneous implantation of drugs and their combinations with BMP-2. In each group, both with ovariectomy and in falsely operated animals, 5 subgroups of 6 animals each were formed: simvastatin (0.13 mg/ml) was implanted in group 1, pentoxifylline (0.14 mg/ml) in group 2, BMP-2 (100 mcg/ml) in group 3, simvastatin and BMP-2 (0.13 mg/ml and 100 mg/ml) in group 4, pentoxifylline and BMP-2 (0.14 mg/ml and 100 mcg/ml) in group 5.

RESULTS

Simvastatin and pentoxifylline did not have osteoinductive properties. During BMP-2 implantation, the volume of newly formed bone tissue was 0.5±0.2% in the group of rats with ovariectomy and 2.8± 1.5% in falsely operated animals. In turn, implantation of simvastatin with BMP-2 caused the formation of bone tissue in the volume of 7.4±4.2% and 5.4±1.5%, and pentoxifylline — 0.01±0.001% and 2.1±1.5% in the groups of rats with ovariectomy and falsely operated animals, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained demonstrate the possibilities of using well-known pharmacological substances to enhance the osteoinductive effect of BMP-2 and can be used to create new effective bone graft materials in dentistry and maxillofacial surgery.