title: Houttuynia cordata modulates oral innate immune mediators: potential role of herbal plant on oral health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epithelial cells play an active role in oral innate immunity by producing various immune mediators. Houttuynia cordata Thunb (H. cordata), a herbal plant found in Asia, possesses many activities. However, its impacts on oral innate immunity have never been reported. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of H. cordata extract on the expression of innate immune mediators produced by oral epithelial cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary gingival epithelial cells (GECs) were treated with various concentrations of the extract for 18 h. The gene expression of hBD2, SLPI, cytokines, and chemokines was measured using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The secreted proteins in the culture supernatants were detected by ELISA or Luminex assay. Cytotoxicity of the extract was assessed using CellTiter-Blue Assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  H. cordata significantly induced the expression of hBD2, SLPI, IL-8, and CCL20 in a dose-dependent manner without cytotoxicity. The secreted hBD2 and SLPI proteins were modulated, and the levels of IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, and IFN-γ were significantly induced by the extract.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicated that H. cordata can modulate oral innate immune mediators. These findings may lead to the development of new topical agents from H. cordata for the prevention and treatment of immune-mediated oral diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satthakarn
authors.forename: W O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Promsong
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nittayananta
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018925:Chemokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D052859:Houttuynia / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000187:drug effects*; D009055:Mouth / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D009909:Oral Health; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Houttuynia cordata; cytokine; human b-defensin 2 (hBD2); mucosal innate immunity; oral epithelial cells; secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (SLPI)