EFFECTS OF IPRIFLAVONE ON PERIALVEOLAR BONE-FORMATION

The effect of ipriflavone (IF), a synthetic isoflavonoid derivative, o n in vivo bone formation was studied in rat perialveolar bone by surgi cally producing a hole in the mandibular bone. The holes were filled e ither with powdered IF or with compounds containing no osteoinductive properties such as biostite and Htr (hard tissue replacement). In cont rol animals, the holes were left to heal spontaneously. The animals we re killed 3, 28, and 40 days after surgery and a detailed morphologica l and morphometric study was performed on the perialveolar bone surrou nding the wounds. Three days after surgery (inflammatory phase) the bo ne wounds were occupied by hemorragic and inflammatory cells in both t he untreated and IF-treated bone defects. Twenty-eight days after surg ery, bone formation was evident with new bone spiculae particularly co ncentrated in the area of the bone lesion closest to the adjacent peri odontal ligament. Morphometric measurements of the areas occupied by n ew bone showed that the synthesis of perialveolar bone was significant ly stimulated by LP. The repair of the bone defects by new bone format ion progressed by day 40, but only in the presence of IP were the orig inal holes almost completely repaired. Conversely, biostite and Htr di d not influence promotion of new bone formation. In conclusion, the re sults of the present study are consistent with a role of IP in stimula ting osteogenesis and suggest that this compound could represent a pot ential therapeutic tool to promote repair of injured perialveolar bone .