Evaluation of gingival collagen in rats immunosuppressed with CsA

Cyclosporine A (CsA) is an immunosuppressant drug used mainly in transplant patients and can have the adverse effect of causing gingival hyperplasia. Some studies have shown that this increase may be due to a change in fibroblast metabolism and connective tissue homeostasis characterizing this condition as a risk for periodontal disease. The aim of this study was to compare gingival connective tissue in experimental periodontitis in rats immunosuppressed with CsA. Twenty-eight male rats (Wistar) were used 14 treated with daily doses of 10mg/kg of CsA and 14 treated with NaCl. After 60 days a ligature was inserted around the 2nd upper right molar maintained for 7 days and then 14 days to induce experimental periodontitis (T) with the contralateral molar as a control (C). After sacrificing the animals the jaws were processed for histological analysis and 5 semi-serial sections per specimen were stained with picrosirious to quantify the collagen.