Abstract
Objectives
N-Acetyl cysteine (NAC), a well-known antioxidant molecule, has been used to modulate oxidative stress and inflammation. However, no studies have examined the effect of NAC in regenerative endodontic procedures (REPs). Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of NAC on cell survival, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) production, and inflammatory and mitochondria-related gene expression on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated apical papilla cells (APCs).
Materials and methods
To assess the NAC concentration, 5 and 10 mM NAC were administered to LPS-treated APCs. Cell proliferation was measured at 24, 48, and 72 h by using AlamarBlue® assay. The 5-mM concentration was further analyzed using different treatment durations: 10 min, 24 h, and the entire study period. The mtROS production was quantified using MitoSOX™ Red and MitoTracker™ Green. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of IL-6 and TNF-α inflammatory genes and mitochondrial morphology–related genes (Mfn-2/Drp-1 and Bcl-2/Bax) at 6 and 24 h. The statistical significance level was set at 0.05.
Results
Five-millimolar NAC promoted the highest LPS-treated APC proliferation. The use of 24-h NAC stimulated cell proliferation, whereas the entire-period NAC application (> 48 h) significantly reduced the cell number. The mtROS levels were slightly altered after NAC induction. Ten-minute NAC treatment downregulated the IL-6 and TNF-α expression, whereas the expression of Bcl-2/Bax and Mfn-2/Drp-1 ratios was upregulated at 6 h.
Conclusions
Under the LPS-induced inflammatory condition, NAC stimulated APC survival and decreased inflammation. Ten-minute NAC treatment was sufficient to reduce the level of inflammation and maintain the mitochondrial dynamics.
Clinical relevance
Ten-minute NAC application is sufficient to reduce the level of inflammation and maintain the mitochondrial dynamics. Therefore, NAC may be considered as a potential adjunctive irrigation solution in REPs.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank the Center of Molecular and Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases Research and Cardiac Electrophysiology Research and Training Center, Chiang Mai University, for the provision of equipment. They also thank Dr. M. Kevin O Carroll, Professor Emeritus of the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry, Oxford, MS, and Faculty Consultant at Chiang Mai University, for his assistance in the preparation of the manuscript.
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The work was supported by a grant from the Faculty of Dentistry of Chiang Mai University.
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Nutcha Jariyamana: validation, formal analysis, investigation, writing—original draft, visualization. Patchanee Chuveera: resources. Anat Dewi: data curation. Warat Leelapornpisid: data curation. Jitjiroj Ittichaicharoen: resources. Siriporn Chattipakorn: supervision. Tanida Srisuwan: conceptualization, methodology, writing—review and editing, project administration.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards by the Human Experimentation Committee, Faculty of Dentistry, Chiang Mai University (No. 13/2019) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Jariyamana, N., Chuveera, P., Dewi, A. et al. Effects of N-acetyl cysteine on mitochondrial ROS, mitochondrial dynamics, and inflammation on lipopolysaccharide-treated human apical papilla cells. Clin Oral Invest 25, 3919–3928 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-020-03721-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-020-03721-7