Lentinan Attenuates Inflammation In Human Periodontal Ligament Fibroblasts

This study investigated whether lentinan (LNT) alleviates Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS)-induced inflammation in human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (hPDLFs) through modulating ROS-NLRP3 inflammasome signaling. Primary hPDLFs were isolated from healthy human periodontal tissues (ethics approved) and identified via immunocytochemistry (vimentin-positive, cytokeratin-negative). Cells were first stimulated with 10 μg/mL Pg-LPS for 24 h to establish an inflammatory model, followed by treatment with LNT at non-toxic concentrations (100,200,400 μg/mL, 24 h, determined by CCK-8 assay). Cell migration was evaluated via scratch assay,inflammatory responses were assessed by RT-qPCR (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-8), ELISA (IL-6, IL-8), DCFH-DA fluorescence (ROS), and immunofluorescence (NLRP3). LNT exhibited no cytotoxicity in hPDLFs at concentrations of 0–400 μg/mL (CCK-8 assay). At 100 μg/mL, LNT significantly enhanced cell migration compared to the LPS-treated group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, LNT suppressed Pg-LPS-induced mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-8, reduced IL-6,IL-8 protein secretion, and attenuated ROS production and NLRP3 inflammasome activation (P < 0.05). LNT mitigates Pg-LPS-induced inflammation in hPDLFs by suppressing ROS-NLRP3 inflammasome signaling, highlighting its therapeutic potential for periodontitis.