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. 2023 Jun 7;24(12):9835.
doi: 10.3390/ijms24129835.

Curcumin Attenuates Periodontal Injury via Inhibiting Ferroptosis of Ligature-Induced Periodontitis in Mice

Yawei Wang  1   2 , Hongbing Lin  2 , Wenxin Huang  1 , Zixian Liu  1 , Zhen Chen  1 , Xuetao Zhao  2 , Tong Ding  2 , Wenguang Qin  1 , Yuqin Shen  1   2
Affiliations

Curcumin Attenuates Periodontal Injury via Inhibiting Ferroptosis of Ligature-Induced Periodontitis in Mice

Yawei Wang et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Periodontitis is a chronic infectious disease characterized by the destruction of connective tissue and alveolar bone that eventually leads to tooth loss. Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent regulated cell death and is involved in ligature-induced periodontitis in vivo. Studies have demonstrated that curcumin has a potential therapeutic effect on periodontitis, but the mechanism is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of curcumin on alleviating ferroptosis in periodontitis. Ligature-induced periodontal-diseased mice were used to detect the protective effect of curcumin. The level of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total glutathione (GSH) in gingiva and alveolar bone were assayed. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of acsl4, slc7a11, gpx4 and tfr1 were measured using qPCR and the protein expression of ACSL4, SLC7A11, GPX4 and TfR1 were investigated by Western blot and immunocytochemistry (IHC). Curcumin reduced the level of MDA and increased the level of GSH. Additionally, curcumin was proven to significantly increase the expression levels of SLC7A11 and GPX4 and inhibit the expression of ACSL4 and TfR1. In conclusion, curcumin plays a protective role by inhibiting ferroptosis in ligature-induced periodontal-diseased mice.

Keywords: GPX4; SLC7A11; curcumin; ferroptosis; periodontitis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Curcumin attenuates periodontal injury in gingival tissue of ligature-induced periodontitis in mice. H&E staining of gingival tissue.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Curcumin influences ferroptosis-related molecular marker in gingival tissue of ligature-induced periodontitis in mice. (A) Detection of SOD level in plasma. (B) Detection of MDA level in gingiva tissue. (C) Detection of GSH level in gingiva tissue. ** p  <  0.01 compared to LPS group; *** p  <  0.001 compared to LPS group.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Curcumin regulates the expression of ferroptosis-related genes and proteins in gingival tissue. (A–D) qPCR analysis of the mRNA content of ferroptosis gene in gingiva. (E–I) Western blot detection of the changes in ferroptosis protein in gingiva. “ns” means no significant difference (p  >  0.05); * p  <  0.05 compared to LPS group; *** p  <  0.001 compared to LPS group.
Figure 4
Figure 4
IHC detection of the changes in ferroptosis protein markers in gingiva. (A) ACSL4 expression detected by IHC staining in gingiva. (B) SLC7A11 expression detected by IHC staining in gingiva. (C) GPX4 expression detected by IHC staining in gingiva. (D) TfR1 expression detected by IHC staining in gingiva.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Curcumin attenuates ferroptosis in alveolar bone of ligature-induced periodontitis in mice. (A) Detection of MDA level in alveolar bone tissue. (B) Detection of GSH level in alveolar bone tissue. (C–F) qPCR analysis of the mRNA of ferroptosis markers in alveolar bone. “ns” means no significant difference (p  >  0.05); * p  <  0.05 compared to LPS group; *** p  <  0.001 compared to LPS group.
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