ICIS 2014* The effects of the association chlorhexidine/propolis on LPS-induced cytokine profile and NF-κB transcription factor activation by human monocytes. (#162)
Introduction: Periodontal disease may occur due to an imbalance in the oral microbiota, whose agents can be transmitted. Chlorhexidine (CHX) is an oral hygiene product typically prescribed to periodontal disease patients, but its use is controversial due to side effects. Propolis (P) is a resinous product made by bees from several parts of plants, used extensively in traditional medicine for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anticancer effects. Propolis exhibits a broad spectrum of biological and pharmacological activities, with a great importance in food and in the pharmaceutical industry. Aims: This work aimed to investigate the association P/CHX effects in vitro, evaluating cell viability, the activation of NF-κB transcription factor and TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 production by human monocytes. Methods: Human monocytes were obtained from healthy donors (n=10) and incubated with the association P/CHX (0.2/1.2, 1.0/6.0 and 2.0/12.0 μg/mL) and LPS (10 μg/mL) for 18h. Cell viability was assessed by the MTT assay, and LPS-induced cytokine production and NF-κB transcription factor activation were determined by ELISA. Significant differences were determined by analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by Dunnett's test (p<0.05 levels of significance and 95% confidence intervals). Results: The association P/CHX had no effect on monocytes viability. The association maintained the LPS-induced activation of NF-κB transcription factor. On the other hand, it decreased LPS-induced cytokine production (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10) in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions: One may conclude that this association showed anti-inflammatory effects, what indicates its use in the treatment of periodontal diseases, with no side effects.