Treatment with an anti-hypertensive drug in an animal model with periodontitis resulted in decreased levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and TNF-α), reduced expression of markers for alveolar bone breakdown (MMP-2, MMP-9, RANKL/RANK), increased expression of a bone growth promoting marker (osteoprotegerin or OPG) and finally reduced alveolar bone loss (154). Here, TNF is linked to periodontitis.