Effect of resveratrol and modulation of cytokine production on human periodontal ligament cells

Periodontitis is a multifactorial polymicrobial infection characterized by a destructive inflammatory process. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a Gram-negative anaerobic black-pigmented rod, which produces several virulence factors that stimulate human periodontal ligament cells (HPLCs) to produce various inflammatory mediators, has been implicated as a crucial etiologic agent in the initiation and progression of periodontitis. Since natural polyphenols such as resveratrol have growth-inhibitory effects on some bacterial pathogens and have shown chemo-preventive, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, in the present study we used an HPLC model stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of P. gingivalis to simulate the in vivo conditions such as those found in diseased periodontal sites. To determine whether resveratrol interferes with P. gingivalis LPS-activity and reduces the production of pro-inflammatory molecules, we investigated its effect on the cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12 and TNF-α and NO production of HPLCs. The results showed that resveratrol treatment decreased in a dose- and time-dependent manner the NO expression induced by P. gingivalis LPS, correlated to an increased viability of infected HPLCs, and decreased the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in HPLCs stimulated by P. gingivalis LPS. These results suggest that the ability of resveratrol to determine immunomodulatory effects could provide possible therapeutic applications for the treatment of periodontitis.