Protective effect of liensinine on periodontitis through its antioxidant effect in mice

Abstract

Liensinine is the most important functional compound in lotus seeds; its protective effect on periodontitis was determined and the mechanism of its antioxidant effect was also explained. During the experiment, we could observe that liensinine could reduce the gingival index in periodontitis-induced mice, and these effects were similar to that during the treatment of periodontitis with the metronidazole drug. After the treatment with liensinine, the serum Immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) level was found to increase and IgG2a level was found to decrease compared to the periodontitis control mice. Liensinine and metronidazole could increase the superoxide dismutase (SOD) serum levels in the periodontitis-induced mice, and both the drugs at the same concentration (200 mg/kg) showed similar SOD activities, which was found to increase. Liensinine also increased the oxidation-related factor of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase, and decreased nitric oxide, malondialdehyde, and endothelin in the serum of mice, compared to the periodontitis control mice. The serum cytokine levels of Interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and Interferon-γ in liensinine-treated mice were lower than the control mice, but higher than the normal mice. The serum IL-4 cytokine level of liensinine-treated mice was reversed, i.e., higher than the control mice. In the periodontal tissue, the mRNA and protein expressions of inhibitor of kappa B-α, transforming growth factor beta 1, Interleukin-10, Mn-SOD, Gu/Zn-SOD, and CAT were increased by the treatment with liensinine compared to the control group mice, and nuclear factor kappa B expressions showed the opposite trend. Liensinine is a good functional compound in the treatment of periodontitis, similar to metronidazole drug. Higher concentration of liensinine had better effects.