INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF CAFFEIC ACID PHENETYL ESTER (CAPE) AND PINOCEMBRIN ON THE PROLIFERATION OF HUMAN GUM FIBROBLAST CELLS (HGF-1) AND WOUND HEALING
Project no. 32305 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2024
Summary
<p><strong>Objective:</strong> Propolis, a product commonly used in traditional medicine and collected by honeybees from plants, contains two main bioactive compounds, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and pinocembrin, which stand out for their therapeutic properties. CAPE has been widely studied for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, chemotherapeutic properties, and effects on apoptosis mechanisms. Pinocembrin, depending on the dosage, has been shown to enhance cell proliferation, as well as exhibit antifibrotic, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and pro-apoptotic properties. Based on the results of studies on propolis, it is suggested that the active compounds may have synergistic effects. Considering studies on wound healing, it is believed that these compounds could support wound healing in oral fibroblast cells. In this context, the effects of CAPE and/or pinocembrin on gingival fibroblast (HGF-1) proliferation and wound healing, as well as their anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects, were determined.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The effects of CAPE and pinocembrin on HGF-1 proliferation were evaluated <em>in vitro</em> using the MTT assay, while their effects on wound healing were assessed using a wound scratch assay in HGF-1 monolayer cultures. The anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects of CAPE and pinocembrin on HGF-1 were investigated <em>in vitro</em> through the MTT assay. The levels of fibrosis markers, collagen and fibronectin, were determined using the Western blot technique.</p><p><strong>Result: </strong>Statistically significant cytotoxic effects of CAPE were observed on HGF-1 cells at a dose of 100 µM after 24 hours and at a dose of 10 µM after 72 hours (<em>p</em><0.05). CAPE (1 nM–100 µM) reduced cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. No statistically significant cytotoxic effect of pinocembrin at a dose of 100 µM was observed on HGF-1 cells. The effects of the applied pinocembrin doses (1 nM–100 µM) on cell viability were similar to those of the control group. No synergistic effect was observed when CAPE and pinocembrin were co-administered. The effects of non-cytotoxic doses of CAPE and pinocembrin on wound healing were comparable to those of the control groups. When CAPE was applied at doses of 1 µM and 10 µM together with TNF-α, a reduction in its cytotoxic effect on HGF-1 cells was observed; however, this reduction was not statistically significant. A statistically significant proliferative effect of the cytotoxic dose of CAPE 100 µM on HGF-1 cells was observed when applied in an inflammatory environment (<em>p</em><0.05). In an inflammatory environment, the cytotoxic effect of CAPE at a dose of 10 µM on HGF-1 cells was reduced, but this reduction was not statistically significant. CAPE at a dose of 50 nM and pinocembrin at a dose of 100 nM suppressed collagen and fibronectin expression.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The potential of CAPE and pinocembrin to suppress inflammation, support wound healing, and prevent excessive fibrous tissue formation in gingival fibroblasts suggests that these compounds could be used as supportive agents in the treatment of periodontal diseases and oral mucosal tissue pathologies.</p>