Licochalcone B, a natural anti-inflammatory agent, inhibits the inflammatory response and oxidative stress of periodontal ligament cells in periodontitis

Periodontitis is a multi-microbial infection characterized by a destructive inflammatory process that affects periodontal tissues. The extracts of traditional Chinese medicine have been reported to be involved in the regulation of the treatment of periodontitis. Licochalcone B (LicB) has been shown to have a wide range of pharmacological activities in diversiform diseases. However, the regulatory functions of LicB and its related mechanisms have not been explored in periodontitis. In this study, our work focused on investigating the regulatory functions of LicB in LPS-stimulated PDLCs. Periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) were first treated with LPS (10 μg/mL) to simulate periodontitis cell model. The results showed that cell proliferation was decreased after LPS treatment, but this effect was restored after LicB treatment. In addition, LicB inhibited inflammatory response and oxidative stress in LPS-induced PDLCs. Furthermore, the osteogenic differentiation was inhibited after LPS treatment, but this change was reversed by LicB treatment. Lastly, it was demonstrated that LicB blocked the NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. This study for the first time demonstrated that LicB inhibited the inflammatory response and oxidative stress of PDLCs in periodontitis, suggesting that LicB may be a useful drug for periodontitis treatment.