Berberine's effect on periodontal tissue degradation by matrix metalloproteinases: an in vitro and in vivo experiment

Periodontal disease involves tissue destruction caused by interactions among bacterial antigens and inflammatory mediators including matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from medicinal herbs, can inhibit the degradative action of extracellular MMPs. The effect of berberine on the periodontal expression of MMPs was examined in vitro and in vivo. Gelatinolytic activity of pro-MMP-2, MMP-2, and MMP-9 in the human gingival fibroblast and/or U-937 was compared after treatment with Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P.g. LPS) in four medias containing 0, 1, 10 and 100 μM of berberine each. Twelve animals were divided into three groups for the study: (A) non-ligation, (B) ligation, and (C) ligation-plus-berberine (75 mg/kg berberine by gastric lavage daily); and the effect of berberine on periodontal destruction was evaluated in the ligature-induced periodontitis in rats for 8 days by micro computerized tomography (micro-CT), histology and immunohistochemistry (IHC). An enhancing effect of P.g. LPS on MMP activities was identified, with a greater effect on fibroblasts/U937 co-culture than on either culture alone. When berberine was added to the LPS-treated cultures, the activities of MMPs were significantly reduced in dose-dependent manner. In the animals, the trends of the following parameters were compared. 1. Micro-CT distances between cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and dental alveolar bone crest: B > C > A. 2. Histometrically measured crest bone levels: B > C > A. 3. Amount of collagen deposited in tissue areas: A > C > B. 4. Attachment loss: B > C ≈ A. 5. Connective tissue (CT) attachment: B > either A or C. 6. Expression of cells stained positive for MMP-2 and -9 by IHC: B > C > A. In conclusion, berberine demonstrated in vitro an inhibitory effect on P.g. LPS-enhanced MMP activities of HGF and U937 macrophages, reducing in vivo gingival tissue degradation in periodontitic rats. We thus propose that berberine may slow periodontal degradation through the regulation of MMPs in periodontitis induced by bacterial plaque.