Title:Asiaticoside Enhances the Osteoblast Potential of LPS-induced Periodontal
Ligament Stem Cells through TLR4/NF-κB Pathway
Volume: 20
Issue: 7
Author(s): Xuan Zou*, Kaitao Yu, Xiaoyang Chu, Yao Shu, Lili Yang and Chenglong Wang
Affiliation:
- Department of Stomatology, the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100071, China
Keywords:
Asiaticoside, periodontal ligament stem cells, osteoblast differentiation, anti-inflammatory, TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway, cell apoptosis.
Abstract:
Objective: Asiaticoside (AS), an active compound extracted from Centella asiatica, can promote
the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells. In this study, we investigated the
impact of AS on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced osteoblast differentiation and inflammatory response
in human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) and its possible mechanisms.
Methods: hPDLSCs were treated with LPS to establish a model mimicking periodontitis and then administered
with different concentrations of AS (30, 60, and 120 μM). Flow cytometry and CCK-8 were conducted
to assess cell apoptosis and proliferation rates, ELISA to detect the levels of inflammatory factors
(IL-1β, IL-8, and TNF-α) in the cell supernatant, and Western blot to determine the expression of osteoblast
differentiation proteins (Runx2, and OPN) and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway proteins (TLR4,
MyD88, P65, p-P65) with ALP and Alizarin red staining conducted.
Results: LPS induced apoptosis of hPDLSCs, and inhibited proliferation and osteoblast differentiation
when increasing the levels of inflammatory factors. However, these alterations were restored upon AS
treatment dose-dependently when cell apoptosis decreased, proliferation rate increased, IL-1β, IL-8, TNF-
α levels decreased, and osteoblast differentiation enhanced. Additionally, LPS activated the TLR4/NF-κB
signaling pathway in hPDLSCs, up-regulating TLR4, MyD88, and p-P65 expression, which was abrogated
by AS.
Conclusion: AS ameliorates LPS-induced inflammation and apoptosis in hPDLSCs through TLR4/NF-
κB pathway and that AS can be expected to become a therapeutic drug for periodontal tissue regeneration
treatment.
