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

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 (H-2) 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 H-2. In this study, we examined the effects of H-2 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-1 alpha) and IL-6 secretion, but H-2 significantly suppressed the secretion of both cytokines without cytotoxicity. H-2 can suppress the production of IL-1 alpha and IL-6, which are identified as cytokines involved in inflammatory reactions in periodontal disease. Thus, H-2 may provide therapeutic applications for periodontitis.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that molecular hydrogen (H-2) significantly inhibits the secretion of inflammatory factors IL-1α and IL-6 induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (Pg LPS), providing a new approach for the treatment of periodontitis.