Role of interleukin-4 in the development of periodontitis in mouse model

AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the development of periodontitis in mice by low dosage of Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) infection.METHODS: Twenty-seven male Kunming mice in specific pathogen free grade were randomly divided into three groups: (1) the normal control group; (2) the experimental periodontitis group, which was produced by ligature of braided silk around the first maxillary molar, and was inoculated with putative periodontopathic bacteria; (3) the periodontitis with T. spiralis infection group. The mice were sacrificed at the end of 1, 3 and 5 weeks. The probing depth (PD) was measured before the mice were euthanized. The histological change of periodontal tissues was observed under the microscope after the samples were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Furthermore, the serum level of IL-4 was determined by ELISA. RESULTS: (1) The serum level of IL-4 in T. spiralis-infected group was significantly higher than that in experimental periodontitis group (P<0.01). (2) The PD in T. spiralis-infected group was significantly lower than that in experimental periodontitis group (P<0.01). (3) Only a mild inflammatory response was observed in T. spiralis-infected animals. CONCLUSION: T. spiralis infection upregulates IL-4 expression and attenuates periodontitis in mice.