Effects of VSL#3 on Oral Epithelial Cells: An In Vitro Study

Objectives: The present in vitro study aimed to investigate the effects of VSL#3 on mouth ordinary epithelial cells (MOE1a
Methods: MOE1a cells were cultured at 37⁰C with 5% CO₂. The mucosal integrity of the MOE1a cells was measured by recording the Trans epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) across a transwell tissue culture plate. After the MOE1a cells became 100% confluent and achieved a TEER recording of 35 Ω (intact epithelium) they were stimulated with VSL#3, E. coli, or a combination of both and cytokine levels and mucosal integrity determined. Pro-inflammatory cytokine release upon bacterial stimulation was determined by ELISA. Wound healing assays were conducted on MOE1 cells cultured on glass bottom tissue culture dishes. Cell cultures that reached 100% confluent were scratched to make an artificial wound and then visualized using time-lapse phase light microscopy for 48 hours. Wound closure was determined using ImageJ public domain software. All statistical data was generated in GraphPad Prism software version 7.
Results: VSL#3 inhibited E.coli-induced IL-6 (p<0.0001) and IL-8 (p<0.001) cytokine release from MOE1a cells, whilst maintaining epithelial barrier integrity at 35Ω. Under sterile conditions wound closure was complete after 24 hours. E. coli exposure delayed complete wound closure by 48 hours but VSL#3 demonstrated a capability to lessen the E.coli delay in wound healing by 24 hours
Conclusions: The present study provides evidence that the probiotic VSL#3 has the potential to modulate the oral epithelial immune response and accelerate wound healing. It is therefore plausible to hypothesize that VSL#3 may have beneficial effects on chronic inflammatory diseases of the oral mucosa