SRP can lead to endotoxemia, possibly by release of endotoxins by bacteria of periodontal origin, into the systemic circulation.

Preclinical drug testing is an important area in new drug development where animals are used. An ideal animal model for this is one which is simple, reliable and can be extrapolated to humans. Topical drugs for inflammation are conventionally tested on the skin of animals after induction of inflammation. A gingival model would be simple as inflammation can be induced naturally by the action of plaque. Rats are a popular animal model for testing drugs as well as to study various diseases of the periodontium. Periodontal disease including gingival inflammation develops in rats in relation to indigenous plaque or experimentally induced bacterial products. A number of features of rats ranging from anatomy, histology and response to bacterial insult can be seen mirrored to a great extent in humans. There is a lot similarity in the development and resolution of inflammation as well as the gingival wound healing of rats and humans. This paper tries to explore the feasibility of using the rat gingival model for preclinical testing of drugs acting on or influencing inflammation and concludes by identifying potential areas of research using this model. The addition of such a simple and inexpensive model for preclinical testing of drugs will be welcomed by the drug developers.

Placenta increta is a rare but potentially life-threatening risk constellation after a previous caesarean section. We present the case of a 29-year-old gravida 2 para 1 patient, who developed dramatic haemorrhaging caused by this abnormal placentation, which could only be resolved by a postpartal hysterectomy. This demonstrates that in the case of a combination of the two most common predisposing factors, repeat caesarean section and placenta praevia, the possibility of a placenta increta should be considered and suitable precautions should be taken.