Effects of estrogen deficiency combined with chronic alcohol consumption on rat mandibular condyle

Estrogen deficiency and chronic alcohol consumption may have a synergistic and deleterious effect on bone tissue. Aim: To investigate the effects of estrogen deficiency associated with chronic alcohol consumption on the mandibular condyle in rats. Methods: Fifty-four female rats were first divided equally into two groups: ovariectomized (Ovx) and simulated ovariectomy (Sham). One month after the surgeries, these groups were equally sub-divided according to their dietary treatment: G1: Sham/ad-libitum diet; G2: Sham/alcohol; G3: Sham/isocaloric; G4: Ovx/ad-libitum diet; G5: Ovx/alcohol, G6: Ovx/isocaloric. Eight weeks after starting the diets, all animals were anesthetized and sacrificed. The condyles were analyzed histologically, histomorphometrically, and immunohistochemically using the antibodies for bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteocalcin (OCC) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL). Results: Histological analysis of the mandibular condyles showed that Ovx and Sham groups presented almost the same characteristics. The histomorphometric analysis showed that there was a statistically significant difference only between Ovx/isocaloric and Ovx/ad-libitum groups (p=0.049). No difference was observed in the intensity of BSP, OCC, and RANKL antibody staining between the Ovx/alcohol and the other groups. Conclusions: It may be concluded that there was no histomorphometric, histological, or RANKL, BSP, and OCC staining differences between the Ovx/alcohol group and other experimental groups.