Published online Mar 26, 2024. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.v16.i3.267
Peer-review started: October 26, 2023
First decision: December 17, 2023
Revised: December 30, 2023
Accepted: February 1, 2024
Article in press: February 1, 2024
Published online: March 26, 2024
Processing time: 151 Days and 0.6 Hours
The bone remodeling during orthodontic treatment for malocclusion often requires a long duration, which also may lead to some complications such as alveolar bone resorption. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), a noninvasive physical therapy, has been shown to promote bone fracture healing and reduce the duration of orthodontic treatment; however, how LIPUS regulates the bone metabolism during the orthodontic treatment process is still unclear.
How to shorten the orthodontic treatment duration and reduce the side effects caused by orthodontic treatment such as alveolar bone resorption has become a very important clinical problem. LIPUS, as a non-invasive physical therapy, has been reported to promote the fracture healing process, and may also play a good role in orthodontic treatment.
This study was to investigate the effects of LIPUS on bone remodeling in an orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) model and explore the underlying mechanisms.
We established a rat model of OTM, and alveolar bone remodeling and tooth movement rate were evaluated via micro-computed tomography and staining of tissue sections. In vitro, human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were isolated to detect their osteogenic differentiation potential under compression and LIPUS stimulation and to investigate the underlying mechanisms.
The force treatment inhibited the expression of osteogenesis markers and osteogenic differentiation potential of hBMSCs, which could be rescued by LIPUS treatment. Mechanically, the expression of LaminA/C, F-actin, and Yes-associated protein (YAP1) was downregulated after force application, which could be rescued by LIPUS treatment. Moreover, the osteogenic differentiation of MSCs increased by LIPUS treatment could be attenuated by YAP small interfering RNA treatment. Consistently, LIPUS increased alveolar bone density and decreased vertical bone absorption in vivo. The decreased expression of type 1 collagen, osteocalcin, and YAP1 on the compression side of the alveolar bone was partially rescued by the LIPUS treatment.
By regulating the cytoskeleton-Lamin A/C-YAP axis, LIPUS can effectively accelerate tooth movement and reduce bone resorption. Therefore, LIPUS can be used as an effective auxiliary method for orthodontic treatment.
These results may provide an adjunctive treatment strategy for orthodontic treatment and enrich the theoretical basis for LIPUS application.