Evaluation of the effects of tideglusib and calcium sulfate on the healing of experimental bone defects in rabbits

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of tideglusib and bone graft mixture on bone healing. Tideglusib is a drug used in the treatment of various neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. In a relevant study, the positive effect of tideglusib on the Wnt pathway, one of the pathways involved in bone regeneration and dentin tissue regeneration, was demonstrated. Dentin and bone tissues have structurally similar healing mechanisms. Therefore, tideglusib may have a similar effect on the bone tissue. The main goal of bone grafting is to provide bone regeneration and functional healing through remodeling. Bone graft materials are divided into four types based on their source: autogenous, allogenous, xenogenous, and alloplastic. Because these graft materials have various advantages and isadvantages, research continues to focus on alternative materials and applications. Sixteen New Zealand rabbits were included in this study. A unicortical 3.5 mm diameter defect was created in the tibia of rabbits under general anesthesia. The groups in the study were as follows: Group 1, left proximal tibia defect area was controlled (defect area was left empty); Group 2, left distal tibia defect area was treated with tideglusib + calcium sulfate; Group 3, right proximal tibia defect area was treated with calcium sulfate only; Group 4, right distal tibia defect area was treated with tideglusib only. Mediolateral (M/L) radiographs of the tibia were taken on the 30th and 60th postoperative days. On the 30th day, the first eight rabbits were sacrificed, and on the 60th day, the remaining eight were sacrificed for histopathological examination. New bone formation in the obtained samples was evaluated by radiological and histopathological analyses. The study concluded that the combination of tideglusib and calcium sulfate significantly enhanced bone healing compared with the other groups (p<0.005). This suggests that tideglusib, either alone or in combination with bone graft materials, could serve as a promising alternative for the repair of bone defects.