Journal of Oral Tissue Engineering

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Local Application of Simvastatin to Rat Iincisor Socket: Carrier-dependent Effect on Bone Augmentation

Daisuke SATO, Kenichi NISHIMURA, Tatsunari ISHIOKA, Hisatomo KONDO, Shinji KURODA and Shohei KASUGAI

Oral Implantology and Regenerative Dental Medicine,
Tokyo Medical and Dental University

J Oral Tissue Engin 2005;2(2): 81-85

Full Text. DOI https://doi.org/10.11223/jarde.2.81

It has been reported that simvastatin, which is a cholesterol synthesis inhibitor and a therapeutic drug for hypercholesteremia, stimulates bone morphogenetic protein 2 expression in osteoblasts, suggesting potentiality of simvastatin in local bone aug-mentation. We prepared bovine atelo-collagen or calcium sulfate containing simvas-tatin and applied these materials to the rat lower incisor sockets. After 4 weeks, the bone of the extracted site was examined radiographically and histologically. Calcium sulfate containing simvastatin remarkably increased the thickness of the alveolar bone. This effect was not observed when simvastatin alone was applied or when atelo-collagen was used as a drug carrier. Although further studies are required, the present results indicate that simvastatin augments bone around tooth socket, which is carrier-dependent.