Lithium Chloride rescues Monensin-potentiated Wnt signaling inhibition in infl ammatory bone loss in rats

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of Lithium Chloride (LiCl) on animals submitted to Monensin-potentiated periodontal bone loss. For that Wistar rats were submitted to experimental periodontitis (EP) and received either 0.1ml/200g corn oil (vehicle), daily; or Monensin (Mon), receiving 10 mg/kg of Mon daily; or LiCl, receiving 150mg/kg of LiCl on alternate days; or Mon + LiCl. Naïve (N) group was not submitted to any treatment. After euthanasia, maxillae were collected for macroscopic and histological analyses, and for expression of bone markers and Wnt signaling. Molecular docking assays were used for assessing the affinity between Mon and WNT pathway components. It was seen that EP caused bone loss and inflammation in the periodontium which was potentiated by Mon. LiCl protected bone and rescued the deleterious effects of Mon marked by reduction on bone loss, increase on osteoblasts number (39%), and Runx2 (70%) and OPG (68%) gene expressions, concomitant with reduction of osteoclasts in number (32%) and function (27%). LiCL increased the gene and protein expressions of beta-catenin in animals with EP receiving Mon. In summary LiCl rescued the deleterious effect of Mon on bone in animals with EP and stands as pharmacological tool to counteract the strong inhibition of Wnt pathway.