Figure 1
From: Periodontal treatment prevents arthritis in mice and methotrexate ameliorates periodontal bone loss
Schematic diagram of the study design. Mice were pretreated with antibiotics for 10 days, followed by a 3-day washout period before PD was induced via 8 consecutive oral inoculations with Porphyromonas gingivalis. After six weeks, mice were immunized with bovine collagen type II and boosted 3 weeks later. Four groups received oral applications of chlorhexidine or metronidazole either before (CE, ME) or during (CL, ML) arthritis induction. A fifth group received i.p. injections with methotrexate after the boost (MTX). The control group did not obtain any therapeutic intervention (Ctrl). Stool samples were taken at predefined time points (t1–t5). Mice were checked daily for visible signs of arthritis and were sacrificed at day 85. Time scale is given in weeks.
