As estatinas são medicamentos comumente prescritos para a prevenção da hiper-lipidemia. Além da redução do colesterol, tais medicamentos parecem estimular a osteogênese e suprimir a reabsorção óssea, o que poderia afetar a movimentação dentária induzida (MDI) e a recidiva ortodôntica. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi determinar se a atorvastatina (ATV) pode afetar a MDI, a recidiva e a osteoclastogênese, por meio da modulação da expressão das moléculas: - ligante do receptor ativador de NFκB (RANKL) e osteoprotegerina (OPG). Ainda foram analisados os potenciais efeitos adversos da ATV sobre a ossificação endocondral e sobre o turnover de ossos longos. No primeiro experimento, 36 ratos foram sujeitos a MDI durante 21 dias, quando o aparelho foi removido. Aos animais, foram administrados, diariamente, ATV ou solução salina (SAL), via gavagem. Após 7, 14 e 21 dias de administração de ATV / SAL, a recidiva dentária foi mensurada, e foram obtidos os cortes histológicos da maxila e fêmur, os quais foram submetidos às seguintes colorações: - H&E – para análise histomorfométrica; - fosfatase acida tartrato resistente (TRAP) – para contagem de osteoclastos e; - imunohistoquímica para RANKL e OPG. A atorvastatina resultou numa inibição da recidiva ortodôntica (p < 0,05), e numa transiente redução do número de osteoclastos (p < 0,05); havendo uma correlação positiva e significativa (p < 0,01) entre o estes dois fatores (número de osteoclastos e a taxa de recidiva). A administração de estatinas também aumentou significativamente a expressão de OPG (p < 0,01), mas não a de RANKL. Além disso, após 21 dias de administração de ATV, a espessura da cartilagem da placa de crescimento e da zona hipertrófica condrocítica foi significativamente aumentada. Já no segundo experimento, 24 ratos começaram a receber diariamente ATV ou solução salina (SAL), via gavagem. Duas semanas mais tarde, a MDI foi iniciada. O deslocamento do dente foi medido após 7, 14 e 21 dias, enquanto que os cortes histológicos da maxila e do fêmur foram obtidos após 14 e 21 dias de MDI; sendo então submetidos às colorações de H&E e TRAP, para avaliação histomorfométrica e contagem de osteoclastos. A administração de atorvastatina gerou um menor movimento dentário (p <0,05) e uma redução transitória do número de osteoclastos (p <0,05). No grupo SAL, após 14 dias de MDI, ocorreu um aumento no número de osteoclastos, assim reduzindo a taxa de volume ósseo, quando comparado com as maxilas controle (sem movimento dentário), deste mesmo grupo. Contudo, tal comportamento não foi observado no grupo ATV. Interessantemente, depois de 35 dias, a atorvastatina não afetou a remodelação óssea nas maxilas controle, nem a ossificação endocondral em fêmures. Logo, guardando as devidas limitações deste estudo pré-clínico, nossos resultados sugerem que a administração sistêmica de atorvastatina é capaz de minimizar a MDI e recidiva ortodôntica. No entanto, os seus efeitos celulares sobre a ossificação endocondral e remodelação óssea durante a MDI e recidiva, parecem ser limitados a um curto período de tempo, o que aparentemente necessita de investigações futuras. Finalmente, nossos resultados lançam luz sobre a superexpressão OPG induzida por estatinas, o que representa um alvo molecular para modular o metabolismo do ósseo e, assim minimizar a recidiva ortodôntica. / Statins are drugs commonly prescribed for prevention of hyper-lipidemia. In addition to the cholesterol-lowering, these medicines seem to enhance osteogenesis and suppress bone resorption, which could affect orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) and relapse. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether atorvastatin (ATV) might affect the orthodontic relapse or tooth movement and osteoclastogenesis, through the modulation of the following molecules: receptor activator of nuclear κ B ligand (RANKL) and; - osteoprotegerin (OPG). Furthermore, we analyzed potential adverse effects of ATV on long bone turnover and endochondral ossification. In the first experiment, 36 rats were subjected to OTM for 21 days, when the appliance was removed. After, the animals were administered daily with ATV (15mg/Kg) or saline (SAL), via gavage (n=18, per group). Up to 7, 14 and 21 days of ATV/SAL administration the tooth relapse was measured while maxillary and femur histologic sections were obtained and prepared to: - H&E staining – used in histomorphometric analysis, tartrate resistant acid phosphatase histochemical staining (TRAP) – used to osteoclasts counting and, immunohistochemistry to RANKL and OPG. Atorvastatin resulted in a decreased tooth relapse (p<0.05), and a transient reduction of osteoclasts number (p<0.05). There was a positive and significant correlation (p<0.01) between these two parameters (osteoclasts number and relapse rate). The statin administration increased significantly the OPG (p<0.01), but not the RANKL expression. Furthermore, after 21 days of ATV administration, the thickness of growth plate cartilage and chondrocytic hypertrophic zone was enhanced. In the second experiment, 24 rats started to be administered daily with ATV or SAL, via gavage. Two weeks later, the OTM started. The tooth displacement was measured after 7, 14, and 21 days, while the maxillary and femur histologic sections were obtained only after 14 and 21 days of OTM. At these times, the sections were prepared to H&E and TRAP, intending to perform the histomorphometric analysis and osteoclasts count. Atorvastatin administration promoted a decreased tooth movement (p<0.05), and a transient reduction of osteoclasts number (p<0.05). In the SAL group, after 14 days of OTM, the increased number of osteoclasts was associated to a reduced bone volume rate, when compared to its control maxillae. However, this trend was not obvious in ATV group. Interestingly, after 35 days, statins did not affect the bone turnover and endochondral ossification. The big picture of our study suggests that systemic administration of statins is able to minimize OTM and relapse. However, its cellular effects on endochondral ossification and bone turnover during OTM or relapse seem to be limited to a short period, apparently requiring further investigations. Finally, our results shed light on OPG overexpression induced by statins, which represents a molecular target modulating maxillary bone metabolism thus inhibiting orthodontic relapse.

La mammite bovine à S. aureus se caractérise, dune part, par la persistance dun nombre élevé de cellules inflammatoires (principalement des neutrophiles) dans le lait, et, dautre part, par la persistance de la bactérie dans la glande mammaire. La guérison dune mammite à S. aureus repose donc sur deux facteurs étroitement liés : le retour à une concentration normale de cellules dans le lait et léradication de lorganisme pathogène. Or, laccumulation et lactivation des neutrophiles au site de linfection requiert lexpression de cytokines pro-inflammatoires, telles que lIL-8 et le GM-CSF, et la croissance intra- et extracellulaire de S. aureus est augmentée en présence de cytokines inflammatoires, telles que lIL-1b et le TNF-a. La persistance de cytokines pro-inflammatoires semble donc être défavorable à la guérison dune mammite à S. aureus. Lexpression de la plupart des cytokines pro-inflammatoires est sous la dépendance du facteur nucléaire kB (NF kB). Par conséquent, NF kB pourrait être une cible thérapeutique intéressante pour améliorer ou soigner la mammite à S. aureus. Au début de ce travail aucune étude navait été dédiée au rôle de NF kB dans la mammite. Nous avons par conséquent tenté de clarifier ce rôle, ainsi que le potentiel de NF-kB en tant que cible thérapeutique dans la mammite bovine.

Many inflammatory diseases are growing increasing common in the aging society of Taiwan. Inflammation cascades can cause diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, chronic asthma, multiple sclerosis, and so on. The clinically used anti-inflammatory drugs have many side effects and are expensive. Therefore, it is imperative that we find alternatives to these drugs. Marine natural compounds offer great hope in the development of drugs for treating inflammatory diseases. In the present study, we found that Chao-10, which is a marine-derived compound isolated from Formosan soft coral, significantly inhibited the expression of the pro-inflammatory protein, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), in the lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line. We suggest that Chao-10 may serve as a potential new anti-inflammatory agent. However, the mechanism by which the anti-inflammatory effects of Chao-10 are mediated is yet unclear. Therefore, we performed two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) to investigate the regulatory mechanism for the anti-inflammatory effect of Chao-10. We isolated some proteins that may be involved in the anti-inflammatory mechanism of Chao-10. In addition, we used immunoprecipitation to find that nucleophosmin (NPM) could interact with nuclear factor kappa B (NF-£eB). Therefore, we hypothesize that nucleophosminmay be involved in the regulation of NF-£eB to enhance the down-regulation of iNOS proteins. In summary, the anti-inflammatory effects of Chao-10 are probably mediated through the some other signaling pathway. Importantly, Chao-10 not only offers some new biomarkers of inflammation but also provides an encouraging outlook on therapeutic approaches.

No description available.

There is a strong association between estrogen exposure and breast cancer risk. Estrogen can activate estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) to increase cell proliferation. Estrogen can also be metabolized into genotoxic compounds to induce DNA damage and mutations. Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and nuclear factor erythroid-2 like 2 (NFE2L2; NRF2) can alter the production of genotoxic estrogen. The present thesis investigated the signalling mechanisms of ERalpha, AHR, and NRF2 and how their interaction might modulate breast cancer risk. In Chapter 2, genome-wide, but promoter-focused analysis of ERalpha binding sites in T-47D breast cancer cells identified potential cell line specific differences in estrogen signalling between T-47D and the commonly used MCF-7 breast cancer cells. CYP2B6 was identified to be an ERalpha target gene in T-47D cells but not MCF-7 cells, supporting cell line dependent effect in estrogen signalling. In Chapter 3 and 4, genome-wide analyses of AHR binding sites were performed to investigate the molecular criteria governing genomic AHR transactivation in vivo in mouse and in vitro in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Our analysis identified 1) the previously established aryl hydrocarbon response element to be an important, but not an absolute requirement in AHR transactivation and 2) key epigenetic modifications that modulate AHR-dependent gene regulation. Lastly, in Chapter 5, interaction among ERalpha, AHR, and NRF2 was presented at the regulatory region of two NRF2 target genes, NADPH Quinone Oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and Heme Oxygenase 1 (HMOX1). ERalpha repressed, whereas AHR enhanced NRF2-dependent NQO1 and HMOX1 mRNA expression through altered p300 recruitment and Histone H3 Lysine 9 acetylation. Collectively, this thesis examined novel molecular mechanisms that might alter breast cancer development/progression by modulating ER, AHR, and NRF2 activity.

There is a strong association between estrogen exposure and breast cancer risk. Estrogen can activate estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) to increase cell proliferation. Estrogen can also be metabolized into genotoxic compounds to induce DNA damage and mutations. Activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and nuclear factor erythroid-2 like 2 (NFE2L2; NRF2) can alter the production of genotoxic estrogen. The present thesis investigated the signalling mechanisms of ERalpha, AHR, and NRF2 and how their interaction might modulate breast cancer risk. In Chapter 2, genome-wide, but promoter-focused analysis of ERalpha binding sites in T-47D breast cancer cells identified potential cell line specific differences in estrogen signalling between T-47D and the commonly used MCF-7 breast cancer cells. CYP2B6 was identified to be an ERalpha target gene in T-47D cells but not MCF-7 cells, supporting cell line dependent effect in estrogen signalling. In Chapter 3 and 4, genome-wide analyses of AHR binding sites were performed to investigate the molecular criteria governing genomic AHR transactivation in vivo in mouse and in vitro in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Our analysis identified 1) the previously established aryl hydrocarbon response element to be an important, but not an absolute requirement in AHR transactivation and 2) key epigenetic modifications that modulate AHR-dependent gene regulation. Lastly, in Chapter 5, interaction among ERalpha, AHR, and NRF2 was presented at the regulatory region of two NRF2 target genes, NADPH Quinone Oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) and Heme Oxygenase 1 (HMOX1). ERalpha repressed, whereas AHR enhanced NRF2-dependent NQO1 and HMOX1 mRNA expression through altered p300 recruitment and Histone H3 Lysine 9 acetylation. Collectively, this thesis examined novel molecular mechanisms that might alter breast cancer development/progression by modulating ER, AHR, and NRF2 activity.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitious lipophilic environmental pollutants. At least some of the PCB congeners and mixtures are hepatic tumor promoters. The mechanisms are not fully understood and might be multifactorial Besides being the most abundant congener in the environment, 2,2,4,4,5,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB-153), has been previously shown to increase hepatocyte proliferation 48h after exposure in rats. The goal of this study was to determine whether hepatic Kupffer cells are important in the promoting activity of PCBs. The hypothesis of this study was that modulation of Kupffer cell activity by PCBs may contribute to PCB-induced liver tumor promotion. The experimental approach consisted on three in vivo models (tumor promotion model and two short term exposure models) and one in vitro model. In the tumor promotion model, glycine inactivation of Kupffer cells did not significantly influence the promoting activity of PCB-77 (3,3,4,4-tetrachlorobiphenyl) or PCB-153. For the short term exposure model, we investigated the effect of Kupffer cell inactivation by glycine and the effect of Kupffer cell depletion on PCB-153s impact on hepatocyte proliferation. The oil used as a vehicle had no significant effect on any of the end points considered. Inhibition of Kupffer cells with glycine or the absence of Kupffer cells did not affect cell proliferation or NF-B activation after PCB treatment compared to the control. In vitro, PCB-153 increased DNA binding activity of NF-B in Kupffer cells but did not significantly increase the TNF- concentration in the medium. In conclusion, PCB-153 increased the number of preneoplastic foci per liver in the casein group but had no significant effect on cell proliferation, and Kupffer cells do not seem to play a role in hepatocyte proliferation.

All animals have evolved mechanisms to recognise and eliminate nonself in order to defend against invading pathogens and to prevent chimerism, the fusion between genetically distinct conspecifics. Like other metazoans, sponges are known to rely on sophisticated systems to maintain their self-integrity. As poriferans are also considered one of the most ancient extant metazoan phyla, they represent a critical comparative model for understanding the early evolution of immunity and self/nonself recognition in animals. The Toll-like receptor (TLR) signalling cascade plays a crucial role in immunity, and recent findings in the sponge Suberites domuncula suggest that its origin could predate eumetazoan cladogenesis. My genome and expressed sequence tag (EST) screens of the demosponge Amphimedon queenslandica detected homologues to most components of this pathway, supporting the notion that a primordial TLR signalling cascade emerged at the dawn of the Metazoa. The sponge also encodes a couple of putative TLR-related proteins (AmqIgTIRs) that consist of at least one extracellular immunoglobulin (Ig) and an intracellular Toll/Interleukin-1 receptor/resistance (TIR) domain. The presence of other unconventional TLRs in S. domuncula and in cnidarian representatives, implies that an ancestral TLR probably existed in the last common ancestor of all living metazoans, and independent duplication and divergence events led to the variety of forms observed in animals. Among the putative transcription factors present in Amphimedon, which are known to be activated by the TLR signalling cascade in other eumetazoans, I detected a single member of the Rel/nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) family, AmqNF-κB, which is also the only Rel homology domain (RHD)-containing gene present in the sponge. This gene encodes a protein that is equipped with both a RHD and ankyrin (ANK) repeats, suggesting that the ancestral metazoan NF-κB was configured identically to contemporary vertebrate and sponge forms, and that the truncated NF-κB found in Nematostella vectensis resulted from the secondary loss of ANK. Aside from immunity, the Toll and TLR pathways contribute to a variety of biological processes in bilaterians, however their functions have only been investigated in detail in a limited number of metazoan model organisms. While studies have tested the immune role of various sponge genes, including components of the TLR cascade, no research has yet established whether they are also involved in development. Therefore, I investigated the expression of some of the immunity-related genes I isolated in Amphimedon in a developmental and immune context to shed light on the potential ancestral function(s) of the proteins they encode. Using in situ hybridisation, I demonstrate that AmqIgTIR2, AmqMyD88, AmqTollip, AmqPellino and AmqNF-ĸB are expressed during A. queenslandica early development. In contrast, the spatial and temporal expression of AmqIgTIR1 suggests it might encode a receptor that is specifically involved in the detection of metamorphic cues in larvae. A real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) study performed on a pool of adult sponge cDNAs indicates that the expression levels of AmqIgTIR1, AmqIgTIR2, AmqMyD88 and AmqTollip are significantly affected by a nine-hour incubation in 50 µg/ml of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and to a lesser extent by 105 colony forming units (cfu)/ml of live Vibrio harveyi. The gene expression of AmqIgTIR1 and AmqIgTIR2 suggests that they may encode proteins with antagonistic immunological functions. While AmqPellino and AmqNF-ĸB do not appear to be affected by LPS and Vibrio exposure, it is possible that these genes do not participate in the early immune response of poriferans. Together, my data indicate that the sponge genes surveyed might encode proteins that perform developmental, sensory and immunological functions, suggesting their roles could have also been multifaceted in the last common ancestor to all living metazoans. As is observed in other invertebrates, poriferans display an ontogenic shift in allorecognition; genetically different individuals can fuse during early development but, in most instances, not as adults. However, there is a limited understanding of the cellular organisation of sponge chimeras and the onset of poriferan allorecognition response. By following the fates of fluorescently tagged cells derived from genetically distinct Amphimedon larvae that are fused together at metamorphosis, I establish that there is a rapid ontogenic shift in the sponge allogeneic response about two weeks after the initiation of metamorphosis. Moreover, the molecular basis of the poriferan allorecognition system is possibly involved in creating differential cell affinities, which underlie the construction of the sponge body plan. Compatible with this scenario is the observation that cells from postlarvae that are allowed to develop for two weeks before contact do not fuse, and form a distinct boundary between genotypes. The molecules responsible for sponge cell reaggregation, the aggregation factors (AFs), have been proposed to drive the allorecognition response in poriferans. Notably, the Amphimedon genome encodes six putative AFs, of which five occur in a cluster. These findings indicate that the polymorphic variation observed in other poriferan AFs is probably the result of allelic variations of multiple genes belonging to the same family.

As estatinas são medicamentos comumente prescritos para a prevenção da hiper-lipidemia. Além da redução do colesterol, tais medicamentos parecem estimular a osteogênese e suprimir a reabsorção óssea, o que poderia afetar a movimentação dentária induzida (MDI) e a recidiva ortodôntica. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi determinar se a atorvastatina (ATV) pode afetar a MDI, a recidiva e a osteoclastogênese, por meio da modulação da expressão das moléculas: - ligante do receptor ativador de NFκB (RANKL) e osteoprotegerina (OPG). Ainda foram analisados os potenciais efeitos adversos da ATV sobre a ossificação endocondral e sobre o turnover de ossos longos. No primeiro experimento, 36 ratos foram sujeitos a MDI durante 21 dias, quando o aparelho foi removido. Aos animais, foram administrados, diariamente, ATV ou solução salina (SAL), via gavagem. Após 7, 14 e 21 dias de administração de ATV / SAL, a recidiva dentária foi mensurada, e foram obtidos os cortes histológicos da maxila e fêmur, os quais foram submetidos às seguintes colorações: - H&E – para análise histomorfométrica; - fosfatase acida tartrato resistente (TRAP) – para contagem de osteoclastos e; - imunohistoquímica para RANKL e OPG. A atorvastatina resultou numa inibição da recidiva ortodôntica (p < 0,05), e numa transiente redução do número de osteoclastos (p < 0,05); havendo uma correlação positiva e significativa (p < 0,01) entre o estes dois fatores (número de osteoclastos e a taxa de recidiva). A administração de estatinas também aumentou significativamente a expressão de OPG (p < 0,01), mas não a de RANKL. Além disso, após 21 dias de administração de ATV, a espessura da cartilagem da placa de crescimento e da zona hipertrófica condrocítica foi significativamente aumentada. Já no segundo experimento, 24 ratos começaram a receber diariamente ATV ou solução salina (SAL), via gavagem. Duas semanas mais tarde, a MDI foi iniciada. O deslocamento do dente foi medido após 7, 14 e 21 dias, enquanto que os cortes histológicos da maxila e do fêmur foram obtidos após 14 e 21 dias de MDI; sendo então submetidos às colorações de H&E e TRAP, para avaliação histomorfométrica e contagem de osteoclastos. A administração de atorvastatina gerou um menor movimento dentário (p <0,05) e uma redução transitória do número de osteoclastos (p <0,05). No grupo SAL, após 14 dias de MDI, ocorreu um aumento no número de osteoclastos, assim reduzindo a taxa de volume ósseo, quando comparado com as maxilas controle (sem movimento dentário), deste mesmo grupo. Contudo, tal comportamento não foi observado no grupo ATV. Interessantemente, depois de 35 dias, a atorvastatina não afetou a remodelação óssea nas maxilas controle, nem a ossificação endocondral em fêmures. Logo, guardando as devidas limitações deste estudo pré-clínico, nossos resultados sugerem que a administração sistêmica de atorvastatina é capaz de minimizar a MDI e recidiva ortodôntica. No entanto, os seus efeitos celulares sobre a ossificação endocondral e remodelação óssea durante a MDI e recidiva, parecem ser limitados a um curto período de tempo, o que aparentemente necessita de investigações futuras. Finalmente, nossos resultados lançam luz sobre a superexpressão OPG induzida por estatinas, o que representa um alvo molecular para modular o metabolismo do ósseo e, assim minimizar a recidiva ortodôntica. / Statins are drugs commonly prescribed for prevention of hyper-lipidemia. In addition to the cholesterol-lowering, these medicines seem to enhance osteogenesis and suppress bone resorption, which could affect orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) and relapse. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether atorvastatin (ATV) might affect the orthodontic relapse or tooth movement and osteoclastogenesis, through the modulation of the following molecules: receptor activator of nuclear κ B ligand (RANKL) and; - osteoprotegerin (OPG). Furthermore, we analyzed potential adverse effects of ATV on long bone turnover and endochondral ossification. In the first experiment, 36 rats were subjected to OTM for 21 days, when the appliance was removed. After, the animals were administered daily with ATV (15mg/Kg) or saline (SAL), via gavage (n=18, per group). Up to 7, 14 and 21 days of ATV/SAL administration the tooth relapse was measured while maxillary and femur histologic sections were obtained and prepared to: - H&E staining – used in histomorphometric analysis, tartrate resistant acid phosphatase histochemical staining (TRAP) – used to osteoclasts counting and, immunohistochemistry to RANKL and OPG. Atorvastatin resulted in a decreased tooth relapse (p<0.05), and a transient reduction of osteoclasts number (p<0.05). There was a positive and significant correlation (p<0.01) between these two parameters (osteoclasts number and relapse rate). The statin administration increased significantly the OPG (p<0.01), but not the RANKL expression. Furthermore, after 21 days of ATV administration, the thickness of growth plate cartilage and chondrocytic hypertrophic zone was enhanced. In the second experiment, 24 rats started to be administered daily with ATV or SAL, via gavage. Two weeks later, the OTM started. The tooth displacement was measured after 7, 14, and 21 days, while the maxillary and femur histologic sections were obtained only after 14 and 21 days of OTM. At these times, the sections were prepared to H&E and TRAP, intending to perform the histomorphometric analysis and osteoclasts count. Atorvastatin administration promoted a decreased tooth movement (p<0.05), and a transient reduction of osteoclasts number (p<0.05). In the SAL group, after 14 days of OTM, the increased number of osteoclasts was associated to a reduced bone volume rate, when compared to its control maxillae. However, this trend was not obvious in ATV group. Interestingly, after 35 days, statins did not affect the bone turnover and endochondral ossification. The big picture of our study suggests that systemic administration of statins is able to minimize OTM and relapse. However, its cellular effects on endochondral ossification and bone turnover during OTM or relapse seem to be limited to a short period, apparently requiring further investigations. Finally, our results shed light on OPG overexpression induced by statins, which represents a molecular target modulating maxillary bone metabolism thus inhibiting orthodontic relapse.

As estatinas são medicamentos comumente prescritos para a prevenção da hiper-lipidemia. Além da redução do colesterol, tais medicamentos parecem estimular a osteogênese e suprimir a reabsorção óssea, o que poderia afetar a movimentação dentária induzida (MDI) e a recidiva ortodôntica. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi determinar se a atorvastatina (ATV) pode afetar a MDI, a recidiva e a osteoclastogênese, por meio da modulação da expressão das moléculas: - ligante do receptor ativador de NFκB (RANKL) e osteoprotegerina (OPG). Ainda foram analisados os potenciais efeitos adversos da ATV sobre a ossificação endocondral e sobre o turnover de ossos longos. No primeiro experimento, 36 ratos foram sujeitos a MDI durante 21 dias, quando o aparelho foi removido. Aos animais, foram administrados, diariamente, ATV ou solução salina (SAL), via gavagem. Após 7, 14 e 21 dias de administração de ATV / SAL, a recidiva dentária foi mensurada, e foram obtidos os cortes histológicos da maxila e fêmur, os quais foram submetidos às seguintes colorações: - H&E – para análise histomorfométrica; - fosfatase acida tartrato resistente (TRAP) – para contagem de osteoclastos e; - imunohistoquímica para RANKL e OPG. A atorvastatina resultou numa inibição da recidiva ortodôntica (p < 0,05), e numa transiente redução do número de osteoclastos (p < 0,05); havendo uma correlação positiva e significativa (p < 0,01) entre o estes dois fatores (número de osteoclastos e a taxa de recidiva). A administração de estatinas também aumentou significativamente a expressão de OPG (p < 0,01), mas não a de RANKL. Além disso, após 21 dias de administração de ATV, a espessura da cartilagem da placa de crescimento e da zona hipertrófica condrocítica foi significativamente aumentada. Já no segundo experimento, 24 ratos começaram a receber diariamente ATV ou solução salina (SAL), via gavagem. Duas semanas mais tarde, a MDI foi iniciada. O deslocamento do dente foi medido após 7, 14 e 21 dias, enquanto que os cortes histológicos da maxila e do fêmur foram obtidos após 14 e 21 dias de MDI; sendo então submetidos às colorações de H&E e TRAP, para avaliação histomorfométrica e contagem de osteoclastos. A administração de atorvastatina gerou um menor movimento dentário (p <0,05) e uma redução transitória do número de osteoclastos (p <0,05). No grupo SAL, após 14 dias de MDI, ocorreu um aumento no número de osteoclastos, assim reduzindo a taxa de volume ósseo, quando comparado com as maxilas controle (sem movimento dentário), deste mesmo grupo. Contudo, tal comportamento não foi observado no grupo ATV. Interessantemente, depois de 35 dias, a atorvastatina não afetou a remodelação óssea nas maxilas controle, nem a ossificação endocondral em fêmures. Logo, guardando as devidas limitações deste estudo pré-clínico, nossos resultados sugerem que a administração sistêmica de atorvastatina é capaz de minimizar a MDI e recidiva ortodôntica. No entanto, os seus efeitos celulares sobre a ossificação endocondral e remodelação óssea durante a MDI e recidiva, parecem ser limitados a um curto período de tempo, o que aparentemente necessita de investigações futuras. Finalmente, nossos resultados lançam luz sobre a superexpressão OPG induzida por estatinas, o que representa um alvo molecular para modular o metabolismo do ósseo e, assim minimizar a recidiva ortodôntica. / Statins are drugs commonly prescribed for prevention of hyper-lipidemia. In addition to the cholesterol-lowering, these medicines seem to enhance osteogenesis and suppress bone resorption, which could affect orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) and relapse. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether atorvastatin (ATV) might affect the orthodontic relapse or tooth movement and osteoclastogenesis, through the modulation of the following molecules: receptor activator of nuclear κ B ligand (RANKL) and; - osteoprotegerin (OPG). Furthermore, we analyzed potential adverse effects of ATV on long bone turnover and endochondral ossification. In the first experiment, 36 rats were subjected to OTM for 21 days, when the appliance was removed. After, the animals were administered daily with ATV (15mg/Kg) or saline (SAL), via gavage (n=18, per group). Up to 7, 14 and 21 days of ATV/SAL administration the tooth relapse was measured while maxillary and femur histologic sections were obtained and prepared to: - H&E staining – used in histomorphometric analysis, tartrate resistant acid phosphatase histochemical staining (TRAP) – used to osteoclasts counting and, immunohistochemistry to RANKL and OPG. Atorvastatin resulted in a decreased tooth relapse (p<0.05), and a transient reduction of osteoclasts number (p<0.05). There was a positive and significant correlation (p<0.01) between these two parameters (osteoclasts number and relapse rate). The statin administration increased significantly the OPG (p<0.01), but not the RANKL expression. Furthermore, after 21 days of ATV administration, the thickness of growth plate cartilage and chondrocytic hypertrophic zone was enhanced. In the second experiment, 24 rats started to be administered daily with ATV or SAL, via gavage. Two weeks later, the OTM started. The tooth displacement was measured after 7, 14, and 21 days, while the maxillary and femur histologic sections were obtained only after 14 and 21 days of OTM. At these times, the sections were prepared to H&E and TRAP, intending to perform the histomorphometric analysis and osteoclasts count. Atorvastatin administration promoted a decreased tooth movement (p<0.05), and a transient reduction of osteoclasts number (p<0.05). In the SAL group, after 14 days of OTM, the increased number of osteoclasts was associated to a reduced bone volume rate, when compared to its control maxillae. However, this trend was not obvious in ATV group. Interestingly, after 35 days, statins did not affect the bone turnover and endochondral ossification. The big picture of our study suggests that systemic administration of statins is able to minimize OTM and relapse. However, its cellular effects on endochondral ossification and bone turnover during OTM or relapse seem to be limited to a short period, apparently requiring further investigations. Finally, our results shed light on OPG overexpression induced by statins, which represents a molecular target modulating maxillary bone metabolism thus inhibiting orthodontic relapse.