Influência da gestação no processo inflamatório da polpa dentária frente à agressão: estudo experimental em ratos ; Influence of pregnancy on the inflammatory process of dental pulp forward to aggression: an experimental study in rats

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of pregnancy on inflammation of process of dental pulp forward to aggression. We conducted an experimental study using 48 upper first molars of female Wistar rats, which was approved by the Ethics Committee for Experiments on Animals from the Federal University of Pelotas. From the animals included in the study, half of them were pregnant, and half were non-pregnant. In the pregnant animals group, on the 15th day of pregnancy the dental intervention was performed. A pulp exposure was performed on the oclusal plane of the side mesial cusp. Half of the exposed pulps (n=10) received direct pulp capping with Mineral Trioxide Aggregate cement (MTA®) and teeth were restored with a light cured resin composite. The remaining teeth (n=10) were restored with light-cured composite placed directly on the pulp exposure. Identical procedures were performed in 20 first molars of non-pregnant female rats. In the control group, in which no interventions were performed, eight first molars were used, half of them from pregnant female rats and half from non-pregnant. Euthanasia of animals was performed in 3, 7 days following the dental procedures. After dissection of jaws, the formalin-fixed blocks were decalcified. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was performed. The samples were blinded evaluated by a qualified pathologist using a light microscope. Scores were assigned for the following criteria: Intensity of inflammatory response; pulp tissue organization; and reactive dentin. The Fisher exact and Linear association tests were used for comparison between groups. The confidence level was established at 95% (p=0.05). Considering the three days experimental period, there was no difference between the intensity of inflammatory response in pregnant and non-pregnant animals. However, there were differences regarding the tissue organization after the use of MTA in pregnant animals (p=0.004). After the experimental period of seven days, in cases in which MTA was used, the ...