Subchronic Infection of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Tannerella forsythia Stimulates an Immune Response but Not Arthritis in Experimental Murine Model

Figure 1

(a) Effect of treatment with CFA and bacterial inoculation on change in body weight of experimental animals. The results of 3 animals per group, the mean and standard deviation are shown. To determine the change in body weight of each animal, the difference was obtained between the weight at the start of the experiment (day 0) and at the end of the experiment (day 35). The evaluation was performed based on a dichotomous criterion: normal mobility and decreased mobility. With the Kruskal-Wallis test, the difference between the groups did not reach statistical significance (), although the change in body weight of Group 2 seemed to be greater in relation to the other groups. (b) Effect of treatment with CFA and bacterial inoculation on loss of mobility. Results of 3 animals per group; the mean and standard deviation are shown. To determine the change of mobility of each animal, each evaluation was performed based on a dichotomous criterion: normal mobility and reduced mobility. Solid black line, sham (Group 1); black dashed line, sham + Pg/Tf (Group 2); blue dashed line, CFA + Pg/Tf (Group 3); red dashed line, CFA alone (Group 4). A loss of mobility was observed from day 19 in the CFA group, while the loss of mobility was complete in the CFA + Pg/Tf group starting on day 24 of the study. (c) Effect of treatment with CFA and bacterial inoculation on hind leg thickness. Results correspond to the mean and standard deviation of the two hind limbs of 3 animals per group. The change in thickness (ΔThickness) was determined based on the difference between the initial thickness of the foot pad and thickness during the different study times. Solid black line, sham (Group 1); black dashed line, sham + Pg/Tf (Group 2); blue dashed line, CFA + Pg/Tf (Group 3); red dashed line, CFA alone (Group 4). The group treated with CFA without Pg/Tf showed an increase in thickness after day 19. The group treated with CFA and with Pg/Tf showed a delayed increase (day 24).

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