The prevalence of
obesity has increased significantly worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the influence of
obesity on the proteomic profile of periodontal ligament (PDL) tissues of rat first maxillary molars (1 M) submitted to
orthodontic tooth movement (OTM). Ten Holtzman rats were distributed into two groups (n = 5): the M group (OTM), and the OM group (
obesity induction plus OTM).
Obesity was induced by a high-fat diet for the entire experimental periods After that period, the animals were euthanized and the hemimaxillae removed and processed for
laser capture microdissection of the PDL tissues of the 1 M.
Peptide extracts were obtained and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD033647. Out of the 109
proteins with differential abundance, 49 were identified in the OM group, including
Vinculin,
Cathepsin D, and
Osteopontin, which were selected for in situ localization by immunohistochemistry analysis (IHC). Overall, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that enriched
proteins were related to the GO component cellular category. IHC validated the trends for selected
proteins. Our study highlights the differences in the PDL
proteome profiling of healthy and obese subjects undergoing OTM. These findings may provide valuable information needed to better understand the mechanisms involved in tissue remodeling in obese patients submitted to orthodontic treatment. SIGNIFICANCE: The prevalence of
obesity is increasing worldwide. Emerging findings in the field of dentistry suggest that
obesity influences the tissues around the teeth, especially those in the periodontal ligament. Therefore, evaluation of the effect of
obesity on periodontal tissues remodeling during
orthodontic tooth movement is a relevant research topic. To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate proteomic changes in periodontal ligament tissue in response to the association between
orthodontic tooth movement and
obesity. Our study identified a novel
protein profile associated with
obesity by using
laser microdissection and proteomic analysis, providing new information to increase understanding of the mechanisms involved in obese patients undergoing orthodontic treatment which can lead to a more personalized orthodontic treatment approach.