Korean J Orthod.  1984 Sep;14(2):187-202.

The effect of exogenous electric currents on cyclic nucleotides in feline alveolar bone

• Kim YB
• Lee JH
• Yang WS

Abstract

There are evidences that exogenous electric currents are capable of enhancing bone formation and resorption, and that the conversion of the bioelectric response to biochemical activity provides the directional component of orthodontic tooth movement. In addition, evidence has implicated cyclic nucleotides in alveolar bone cellular activation mechanism during orthodontic tooth movement. In view of these evidences, this study was performed to investigate the effects of exogenous electric currents in cyclic nuclotide levels in feline alveolar bone and the possible clinical applicaiton of electric currents as an additional orthodontic tool. In the first study, three groups of three adult cats were subjected to application of a constant direct current of 10+/-2 microamperes to gingival tissue near maxillary canine noninvasively for 1,3, and 7 days respectively. In the second study, three groups of three adult cats each were treated by an electric-orthodontic procedure for 1, 3, and 7 days respectively. The left maxillary (control) canine received an orthodontic force of 80gm alone at time of initiation, while the right maxillary (experimental) canine received combined force-electric stimulation (80gm of force and 10+/-2 microamperes of a constant D.C currents). Alveolar bone samples were obtained from the mesial (tension and / or cathode) and the distal (compression and/ or anode) sites surriunding maxillary canines as well as from contralateral control sites. The samples were extracted, boiled, homogenized, and the supernatants were assayed for cyclic nucleotides (cAMP, cGMP) by a radiommunoassay method. And also the amount of tooth movement was measured in the second study. On the basis of this study, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1. The fluctuation pattern of cyclic nucleotide levels in alveolar bone treated by exogenous electric currents was similar to that treated by orthodontic force. 2. The cAMP levels in alveolar bone of electrically treated teeth significantly elevated above the control values. And of electrically treated teeth, the values of the anode sites were higher than those of the cathode sites. 3. The cGMP levels in alveolar bone of electrically teeth elevated above the control values at the initation phase of treatment, but dropped below the control values at time of termination. And of electrically treated teeth, the values of the cathode sites were higher than those of the anode sites. 4. The rate of tooth movement in teeth treated by force-electric combination increased with the length of treatment as compared to that treated by mechanical force alone.

MeSH Terms

Adult
Animals
Cats
Electrodes
Humans
Nucleotides, Cyclic*
Osteogenesis
Tooth
Tooth Movement
Nucleotides, Cyclic