Insufficient alveolar bone thickness increases the risk of periodontal dehiscence and fenestration, especially in orthodontic tooth movement. Abaloparatide (ABL), a synthetic analog of human PTHrP (1-34) and a clinical medication for treating osteoporosis, has recently demonstrated its potential in enhancing craniofacial bone formation. Herein, we show that intraoral submucosal injection of ABL, when combined with mechanical force, promotes in situ alveolar bone thickening. The newly formed bone is primarily located outside the original compact bone, implying its origin from the periosteum. RNA sequencing of the alveolar bone tissue revealed that the focal adhesion (FA) pathway potentially mediates this bioprocess. Local injection of ABL alone enhances cell proliferation, collagen synthesis, and phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in the alveolar periosteum; when ABL is combined with mechanical force, the FAK expression is upregulated, in line with the accomplishment of the ossification. In vitro, ABL enhances proliferation, migration, and FAK phosphorylation in periosteal stem cells. Furthermore, the pro-osteogenic effects of ABL on alveolar bone are entirely blocked when FAK activity is inhibited by a specific inhibitor. In summary, abaloparatide combined with mechanical force promotes alveolar bone formation via FAK-mediated periosteal osteogenesis. Thus, we have introduced a promising therapeutic approach for drug-induced in situ alveolar bone augmentation, which may prevent or repair the detrimental periodontal dehiscence, holding significant potential in dentistry.
Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Periosteum/cytology* ; Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein/administration & dosage* ; Animals ; Focal Adhesion Protein-Tyrosine Kinases/metabolism* ; Alveolar Process/drug effects* ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Phosphorylation ; Rats ; Male ; Humans ; Focal Adhesion Kinase 1/metabolism* ; Cell Movement/drug effects*

Objective To investigate the effect of telephone call follow-up on compliance with opening-mouth exercises among nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC)patients with radiotherapy-induced difficulty in opening mouth.Methods Sixty four nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients undergoing radiotherapy were randomized into control group(n=31)and observation group(n=31).The former group was given health education and instructions for functional exercises of opening mouth at discharge and regular return visits after discharge,and the observation group received regular telephone call follow-ups by an appointed nurse besides the same treatment as in the control group.The two groups were compared in regard to the compliance with the exercises of opening mouth and the incidences of difficulties in opening mouth at the first and second years after discharge. Results The compliance of the observation group was significantly higher that in the control group(P<0.01).The incidences of difficulties in opening mouth in the observation group were significantly smaller than that in those of the control at the first and second years after discharge(P<0.01). Conclusion Telephone call follow-ups are effective in the improvement of compliance of functional exercises in NPC patients with radiotherapy-induced difficulty in opening mouth,the reduction of the incidence of mouth-opening problems and the improvement of their quality of life.