Anti-inflammatory effect of Panax notoginseng saponins on pulpitis through MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway in rats

JIANG Si; ZHOU Biao; LI Ye; CHI Ying

doi:10.13431/j.cnki.immunol.j.20240099

Abstract：Objective To explore the effects of Panax notoginseng saponins on inflammatory response and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38MAPK)/nuclear factor-kB(NF-κB)pathway in pulpitis rats.Methods SD rats were induced with lipopolysaccharide to establish a pulpitis model,and then randomly divided into model group,Panax notoginseng saponins group,p38MAPK activator group,Panax notoginseng saponins+activator group,and p38MAPK inhibitor group,with 15 rats in the group.Another 15 normal rats were introduced as normal control group.Seven days after rats of different group were given the corresponding drugs,the pulp tissue was gathered and subjected to HE staining for evaluating tissue inflammatory lesions and scoring;immunofluorescence co-localization method was used to detect the positive co-expression level of M1 type macrophages(labeled antibody CD86)and phosphorylated p38MAPK(p-p38MAPK);immunohistochemical method was used to detect the positive expression of phosphorylated NF-κB(p-NF-κB);Western blot method was used to detect the expression of Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)/p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway proteins,M1 type macrophage polarization-related proteins,and interleukin-10(IL-10)protein in dental pulp tissue.Results Administration of Panax notoginseng saponins and blocking the p38MAPK pathway could alleviate the pathological damage of dental pulp tissue to the same extent,inhibit the activation of TLR4/p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway,and reduce the pro-inflammatory response mediated by M1 macrophage polarization(P<0.05).On the contrary,activation of p38MAPK could aggravate the inflammatory injury of pulp tissue in rats with pulpitis,and the activation of p38MAPK could weaken the inhibitory effects of Panax notoginseng saponins on the activation of TLR4/p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway and the pro-inflammatory responses mediated by M1 macrophage polarization(P<0.05).Conclusion Panax notoginseng saponins may inhibit the activation of p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway,inhibit the pro-inflammatory response mediated by M1 type macrophages,and alleviate the inflammatory response of dental pulp tissue in rats with pulpitis.