Enterococcus faecalis-induced nuclear factor-kappa beta and osteocalcin expressions in rat's periapical tissue damage

Background/Aims: Nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κB) is a member of the transcription factor family, and it plays a key role in coordinating the expression of genes in many chronic inflammatory diseases. The main etiology of endodontic treatment failure is caused by bacteria in root canal, including Enterococcus faecalis. The aim of this study to determine NF-κβ and osteocalcin expressions during the periapical tissue damage due to induction of E. faecalis. Materials and Methods: Fifty-four male rats were randomly divided into two main groups, each of which had three subgroups. In Group C (control), every tooth was induced only by sterile brain-heart infusion broth (BHIb). Group C had three subgroups, namely Group C3 with 3 days inductionprocess, Group C10 with 10 days induction process, and Group C21 with 21 days induction process. In Group T, every tooth was induced by 10 μl of BHI-b E. faecalis ATCC212 (10⁶CFU). Similarly, Group T also had three subgroups, namely Group T3 with 3 days induction process, Group T10 with 10 days induction process, and Group T21 with 21 days induction process. The animals were sacrificed based on their group schedule and then prepared for histological and immunohistochemical examinations of periapical tissue. Afterward, the expressions of NF-κβ and osteocalcin were calculated on the light microscope. Results: The results revealed that the number of cells expressed of NF-κβ and osteocalcin increased significantly in all sub-groups of Group B induced by E. faecalis compared to the control group. Conclusion: It can be concluded that the number of cells expressed NF-κβ and osteocalcin increase during the periapical tissue damage induced by E. faecalis.