Subjects: The aim of this study was to research the antiapoptotic effect of astragaloside, the principal component of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch) Bge, in human gingiva cells induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Methods: According to the treatment, human gingiva cells were divided into five groups, including (1) control group without drug treatment; (2) imitating group, treated with LPS (10 μg·mL-1 ) alone; (3) low group, treated with LPS and 50 μmol·L -1 astragaloside; (4) medium group, treated with LPS and 100 μmol·L -1 astragaloside; and (5) high group, treated with LPS and 150 μmol·L -1 astragaloside. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were investigated using MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Apoptosis and mitogen-activated protein kinase associated proteins were determined using Western blot analysis.
Results: LPS significantly suppressed the proliferation of human gingiva cells, but astragaloside obviously attenuated this change with a dose-dependent manner. LPS significantly promoted the apoptosis of human gingiva cells, but astragaloside treatments significantly attenuated this change with a dose-dependent manner. In addition, LPS could significant upregulated the expression of P-p38, P-JNK, Bax, and caspase-3.
Conclusion: Astragaloside preformed a promising antiapoptotic role in apoptosis of human gingiva cells induced by LPS. This finding might provide us with a novel therapeutic method in tooth protection.
Keywords: apoptosis; astragaloside; gingiva cells; lipopolysaccharide; mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.
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