The microbiology of ligature‐induced periodontitis in the cynomolgus monkey

Abstract

The cultivable subgingival microflora in the cynomolgus monkey, Macaca fascicularis, was monitored during the ligature‐induced progression of naturally occurring gingivitis to periodontitis. Clinical and microbiological observations were divided into four stages. Stage I, prior to ligature placement, was characterized clinically by chronic generalized gingivitis and microbiologically by Gram‐positive cocci and rods with B. melaninogenicus ss. intermedius the dominant Gram‐negative organism. Stage II, 1 to 3 weeks following ligature placement, exhibited slightly greater gingival inflammation but no clinical evidence of attachment loss. The subgingival flora showed a significant increase in motile and surface translocating Gram‐negative rods, primarily Capnocytophaga species and Campylobacter sputorum. Stage III, 4 to 7 weeks following ligature placement, revealed increased pocket depth and radiographic evidence of alveolar bone loss. This stage was characterized by a Gram‐negative anaerobic flora with B. asaccharolyticus as the dominant cultivable organism. Stage IV encompassed the remainder of the experimental period, 8 to 17 weeks, during which time no further change in the clinical parameters occurred and levels of B. asaccharolyticus decreased. The subgingival microflora of ligature induced periodontitis in Macaca fascicularis closely resembled that reported for human periodontal disease and the episodic clinical pattern of attachment loss was associated with levels of Gram‐negative anaerobes, primarily B. asaccharolyticus.

The Effect of Supragingival Plaque Control on the Composition of the Subgingival Microbial Flora in Ligature-induced Periodontitis in the Monkey

“…It was beyond the scope of this study to extend the routinely used tests for identification of these organisms since none of them showed a characteristic pattern or occurred frequently enough. With 37% Gram-negative anaerobic rods, 13% BPB in the control group and 19% in the test group at time 0 (Table I and II) the data in this report are comparable to stage IV desscribed by Kornman, Holt and Robertson (1981). But a separation of BPB into saccharolytic and asaccharolytic BPB reveals differences.…”

Pre-clinical Models for Oral and Periodontal Reconstructive Therapies

“…Thus, intervals suggested for histomorphometric analysis are 1, 3, and 6 mos (Giannobile et al, 1994). Limitations are that the defects are restricted to the interproximal region, the maintenance of nonhuman primates is expensive, and the establishment of periodontal lesions requires significant time (Kornman et al, 1981;Caton et al, 1994). This model has been used for evaluation of the efficacy of biologics and GTR barriers (Rutherford et al, 1992;Giannobile et al, 1994Giannobile et al, , 1996Kostopoulos and Karring, 2004).…”

“…These animals also form microbial plaque and calculus in the periodontium; however, they rarely exhibit spontaneous progression of gingival inflammation to periodontal disease (Schou et al, 1993). Various approaches have been designed for the predictable induction of periodontal defects (Kornman et al, 1981;Brecx et al, 1985). Thus, given the great similarities in relation to tooth size, anatomy, and healing characteristic, non-human primates make for an appropriate model system for the evaluation of NMF.…”

Acquisition of Oral Microbes and Associated Systemic Responses of Newborn Nonhuman Primates

“…This model also has permitted an assessment of the role of the emerging microbiota and the immune response to selected members of this microbiota to either protect against disease progression or to exacerbate the inflammatory process during the longitudinal progression of the inflammatory disease (18)(19)(20). We and others have shown that characteristics of the innate and humoral immune responses and the destruction of bone and connective tissue that accompany naturally occurring and ligature-induced periodontitis in Macaca fascicularis, Saimiri sciureus, Macaca nemestrina, Macaca mulatta, and Papio anubis parallel those observed in human periodontitis (5,6,(21)(22)(23).…”