Short-term immunosuppressive therapy does not affect the density of the pre-existing bone around titanium implants placed in rabbits

the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the administration and withdrawal of cyclosporin a/nifedipine on the bone density in a lateral area adjacent to implants placed in rabbits. two screw-type titanium implants were placed bilaterally in twenty-eight new zealand rabbits. the animals were assigned to one of the following groups and received daily subcutaneous injections for 14 days: groups a and c: vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide); groups b and d: csa (10 mg/kg) plus nifedipine (50 mg/kg). the animals in groups a and b were sacrificed 14 days postoperatively and, in groups c and d, 42 days postoperatively. after sacrifice, the tibiae were removed and undecalcified sections were obtained. bone density was obtained in a 500 mm-wide zone lateral to the implant surface. intergroup analysis showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the degree of bone density between control and test groups either on day 14 or on day 42. thus, it appears that a short-term immunosuppressive therapy may not present a negative influence on the density of the pre-existing bone around titanium implants placed in rabbits.