Abstract
BackgroundCurcumin exhibits anti-inflammatory effects and has been suggested as a treatment for inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of curcumin on the lipopolysaccharide induced inflammatory response in rat gingival fibroblasts in vitro and ligation-induced experimental periodontitis in vivo, and to speculate the possible anti-inflammatory mechanism of curcumin.MethodsThe gingival fibroblasts were incubated with different concentrations of curcumin in the absence or presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Concentrations of interleukin-1β(IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), osteoprotegerin (OPG) and soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) culture supernatants of rat gingival fibroblasts were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The nuclear fraction of rat gingival fibroblasts was extracted and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) activation was assessed by western blotting to elucidate related mechanisms. Curcumin was given every two days by oral gavage. The gingival inflammation and alveolar bone loss between the first and second molars were observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Collagen fibers were observed by picro-sirius red staining. Alveolar bone loss was assessed by micro-CT analysis.ResultsCurcumin attenuated the production of IL-1β and TNF-α in rat gingival fibroblasts stimulated by LPS, and inhibited the LPS-induced decrease in OPG/sRANKL ratio and NF-κB activation. Curcumin significantly reduced gingival inflammation and modulated collagen fiber and alveolar bone loss in vivo.Conclusionscurcumin modulates inflammatory activity in rat periodontitis by inhibiting NF-κB activation and decreasing the OPG/sRANKL ratio induced by LPS.
Highlights
Curcumin exhibits anti-inflammatory effects and has been suggested as a treatment for inflammatory diseases
Effects of curcumin on cell viability The cytotoxic effect of curcumin on rat gingival fibroblasts was assessed by the MTT assay
There was no significant difference in cell viability in LPS + 10 μM curcumin-treated cells, LPS + 20 μM curcumin-treated cells, 10 μM curcumin-treated cells or 20 μM curcumintreated cells compared with control fibroblasts (P > 0.05)
Summary
Curcumin exhibits anti-inflammatory effects and has been suggested as a treatment for inflammatory diseases. Periodontitis is a prevalent oral inflammatory disease characterized by progressive gingival tissue inflammation, irreversible alveolar bone loss and deep periodontal pockets. It is caused by accumulation of profuse amounts of dental plaque. The conventional treatment for periodontitis is to reduce dental bacteria levels by scaling and root planing [1]. Antibiotics such as doxycycline have been used to alter the host response to the periodontal pathogens by disrupting the action of matrix metalloproteinase and to minimize host-mediated tissue.
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