Bone Recuperation After rhBMP-2 Insertion in Alcoholic Animals-Experimental Study

Background: Alcoholism affects bone repair and this study evaluated the recombinant human BMP-2 (rhBMP-2)/collagen sponge association aiming to improve the bone healing process. The aim of this study was to investigate the action of alcoholism and its effect on the repair of bone defects (BD) performed on rat calvaria after the application of rhBMP-2, either pure or combined with a collagen matrix, using radiographic, histological and immunohistochemical methods. Methods: We used 80 rats divided into two groups and these into 4 subgroups, each with a waiting period for sacrifice of four and six weeks after the BD (5mm). The groups were divided into: Veh-X) vehicle+BD, Veh-BMP) water+BD+5µg rhBMP-2, Veh-ACS) water+ BD+absorbable collagen sponge, Veh-BMP/ACS) water+BD+5µg rhBMP-2/absorbable collagen sponge, EtOH-X) ethanol+BD, EtOH-BMP) ethanol+BD+5µgrhBMP-2, EtOH-ACS) ethanol+BD+absorbable collagen sponge, and EtOH-BMP/ACS) ethanol+ BD+5µg of rhBMP-2/ absorbable collagen sponge. Results: Radiographically, it was found that after six weeks, for the groups treated with rhBMP-2, independent of the carrier use and ethanol administration, there was more new bone formation (p<0.05). For immunohistochemical analysis, osteocalcin and bone sialoprotein were found to be predominant in groups treated with rhBMP-2. For quantitative stereology, which aims to calculate the volume of new bone, higher values for the groups treated with rhBMP-2 pure or combined with the carrier were found; but for the groups treated with ethanol, a higher bone formation in the groups treated with rhBMP-2 associated with the carrier in the periods of four and six weeks (p<0.001) was found. Conclusion: It was concluded that the carrier was effective for rhBMP-2 delivery, even in the presence of ethanol.