Antioxidant effects of melatonin in heart tissue after induction of experimental periodontitis in rats

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of melatonin on the oxidative stress in heart tissues after induction of experimental periodontitis in rats. Thirty Wistar Albino male rats were divided into four groups as follows: healthy + saline solution (Hs, n = 7), healthy + melatonin (Hm, n = 7), periodontitis + saline solution (Ps, n = 8), and periodontitis + melatonin (Pm, n = 8). Experimental periodontitis was induced using a ligature placed at the gingival margin of the maxillary second molars. Melatonin was applied intraperitoneally (10 mg/kg) every day for 2 weeks. After sacrificing the rats, serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels, and melatonin levels were evaluated. The Pm group exhibited lower alveolar bone loss than the Ps group. Melatonin levels increased in the periodontitis groups, and the Pm group had lower MDA levels and higher GSH-Px levels than the Ps group. These findings suggest that melatonin administration reduces MDA and increases GSH-Px levels in heart tissue, and these effects may be due to its antioxidant properties. Further studies are needed to understand the effects of melatonin on the association between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease.