Melatonin Inhibits Inflammatory Mediators Productions in Human Periodontal Ligament Cells

Objectives: Melatonin is a hormone secreted mainly by the pineal gland, and exhibits a wide spectrum of activities, including antioxidant functions. It has been reported that melatonin is detected in gingival clevicular fluid. However, the role of melatonin in periodontal disease is still uncertain. The aim of study was to examine the effects of melatonin on inflammatory mediators expressions in human periodontal ligament cells (HPDLCs).
Methods: HPDLCs were obtained from Lonza Walkersville Inc. CXCL10 and MMP-1 productions were measured with ELISA. Western blot analysis was used to detect MAPKs phosphorylations and IκB-α degradation.
Results: IL-1β could induce both CXCL10 and MMP-1 productions in HPDLCs. Melatonin decreased CXCL10 and MMP-1 productions from IL-1β-stimulated HPDLCs in a dose-dependent fashion. Western blot analysis showed that melatonin inhibited p38 MAPK and JNK phosphorylations, and IκB-α degradation in IL-1β-stimulated HPDLCs.
Conclusions: These results mean that melatonin could inhibit Th1 cells migration by reducing CXCL10 production. Moreover, melatonin might inhibit soft tissue destruction by decreasing MMP-1 production in periodontal lesions. Our results suggest that we might use melatonin for therapeutic agents in periodontal disease because melatonin has anti-inflammatory properties. This work was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (25463219) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.