## 1 Introduction  
Bone tissue is known for its remarkable regenerative abilities, which play a crucial role in maintaining the structural and functional integrity of the body [1; 2; 3; 4]. Collagen is a biocomponent found in the body that is central to the regenerative process. It is known for its low antigenicity and plays a pivotal role in wound healing and coagulation. When developed into a sponge form, it enhances cellular infiltration and acts as a versatile carrier for drugs and growth factors, mimicking the extracellular matrix [1; 2; 3; 4].  
Statin medications like rosuvastatin (RSV) have recently gained attention for their pleiotropic anti-inflammatory, angiogenic, and osteogenic properties, independent of cholesterol reduction [5; 6; 7; 8; 9; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15]. This has led to the emergence of promising approaches for regenerating even sizable osseous defects, including bone grafts, scaffolds, small molecules, and bioactive growth factors [6; 8].  
Rosuvastatin is a potent HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor that helps reduce plasma cholesterol levels by modulating hepatic cholesterol biosynthesis. Apart from its primary action, RSV exhibits significant anti-inflammatory effects by augmenting nitric oxide production, which inhibits P-selectin synthesis by endothelial cells [7; 8; 9; 10; 11]. This is evidenced by lowered C-reactive protein levels [16; 17; 18; 19]. Its systemic application in rat models of arthritis has shown its capacity to curb bone resorption [19].  
As a synthetic HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, RSV primarily acts to lower cholesterol by attenuating hepatic biosynthesis [16]. However, by modulating activity along the mean-onate pathway, RSV additionally demonstrates secondary effects, including decreased oxidative stress, elevated endothelial progenitor cells, and suppression of inflammatory cytokines. Such mechanisms likely contribute to findings of hastened periodontal and bone defect healing when RSV is delivered locally in some preclinical models [19; 20].  
RSV has been shown to upregulate BMP-2 and other promoters of osteoblast maturation while inhibiting osteoclastogenesis--indicating the capacity to both stimulate bone formation and limit deleterious resorption [9; 10; 21; 22]. This dual anabolic and anti-catabolic functionality highlights unique promise for the use of RSV in regenerating lost osseous tissues. However, despite this osteogenic potential, RSV has yet to be specifically assessed as a therapeutic option to preserve alveolar bone following dental extractions--a common clinical scenario requiring bone augmentation [20].  
A systematic review conducted by [PERSON] et al. [19] compiled evidence from preclinical in vivo trials to evaluate the effects of statins on periodontal disease models and periodontal defects. The review found that systemic and local statin therapy, using simvastatin, atorvastatin, or RSV, had largely positive impacts on promoting gains in the alveolar bone. However, only a few studies specifically researched the localized delivery of statins within bone defects, and no studies investigated the results of statin-impregnated collagen sponges for alveolar repair after tooth extraction, which is a common cause of ridge defects requiring regeneration. Given RSV's potent osteogenic stimulation coupled with anti-inflammatory actions, our group aimed to assess its regenerative potential for post-extraction alveolar defects. Therefore, the present research aimed to evaluate the osteogenic potential of RSV solution associated with collagen sponges in post-extraction rat alveoli.