Response of human periodontal ligament cells to baicalin.
BACKGROUND
Periodontitis is the most common cause of tooth loss in adults. Periodontal ligament cell (PLC)-based therapy is considered one of the most promising methods in periodontal tissue regeneration. The traditional Chinese medicine baicalin has been shown to possess antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities and enhance cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase activity. The aim of this study is to investigate the response of human PLCs (HPLCs) to baicalin.


METHODS
The effect of baicalin on cultured HPLC proliferation was measured with a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The effect of baicalin on the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG), receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), core binding factor α1 (Cbfα1), and osteocalcin (OC) was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunodetection.


RESULTS
Baicalin at a concentration of 0.01 μg/mL promoted HPLC proliferation, upregulated OPG messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression, and downregulated RANKL mRNA and protein expression. In addition to reducing the RANKL/OPG expression ratio significantly, it also increased Cbfα1 and OC mRNA and protein expression.


CONCLUSIONS
Baicalin showed multifaceted regulation of genes with important roles in tissue growth and differentiation, and thus it has the potential to be a promising candidate for HPLC-based periodontal regeneration therapy.
Department of Stomatology, 306th Hospital of People's Liberation Army, Beijing, China.
Zhenhua
Z
Pei
Baokui
B
Wang
Fengqiu
F
Zhang
Zhongying
Z
Niu
Shenggen
S
Shi
Richard D
RD
Cannon
Li
L
Mei
D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004396:Coloring Agents; D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015675:Osteocalcin / Q000187:drug effects; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000187:drug effects; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D053245:RANK Ligand / Q000187:drug effects; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D031363:Scutellaria; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D055815:Young Adult
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004396:Coloring Agents; D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit; D005419:Flavonoids; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; D053245:RANK Ligand; C506030:TNFRSF11B protein, human; C505688:TNFSF11 protein, human; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; D015675:Osteocalcin; C038044:baicalin; D005966:Glucuronidase; C022616:thiazolyl blue
Baicalin; RANK ligand; osteocalcin; osteoprotegerin; periodontitis