Molecular hydrogen suppresses Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide‑induced increases in interleukin‑1 alpha and interleukin‑6 secretion in human gingival cells

Abstract

Periodontitis is defined as a multifactorial polymicrobial infection accompanied by inflammatory reactions. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) is known as a major pathogen in the initiation and progression of periodontitis, and a major virulence factor is Pg lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Molecular hydrogen (H2) has been reported to act as a gaseous antioxidant, which suppresses periodontitis progression by decreasing gingival oxidative stress. However, no human periodontitis model has examined the anti-inflammatory effects of H2. In this study, we examined the effects of H2 on Pg LPS-induced secretion of 8 types of inflammation markers in a human periodontitis model using human gingival cells with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Our results demonstrated that Pg LPS increased interleukin (IL) 1 alpha (IL-1α) and IL-6 secretion, but H2 significantly suppressed the secretion of both cytokines without cytotoxicity. H2 can suppress the production of IL-1α and IL-6, which are identified as cytokines involved in inflammatory reactions in periodontal disease. Thus, H2 may provide therapeutic applications for periodontitis.

Study details

Article type

Original Research

Disease / injury model

Periodontitis (Porphyromonas gingivalis LPS-induced inflammation in human gingival cells)

Dose-dependent effect

No

Outcome

Positive

Findings

Molecular hydrogen (H2) significantly suppressed Porphyromonas gingivalis LPS-induced increases in interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion in human gingival epithelial cells, without cytotoxicity. H2 was more effective in suppressing IL-6 than IL-1α, suggesting potential therapeutic applications for periodontitis.