Astragalus polysaccharide attenuates inflammation and restores odontogenic/osteogenic differentiation of hDPSCs.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the biological effects and underlying mechanisms of Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) on human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) under inflammatory conditions. DESIGN: hDPSCs were isolated by enzymatic digestion. Cell viability was assessed using the CCK-8 assay. Cells were divided into three groups: negative control (NC), LPS, and LPS + APS groups. The expression of inflammatory cytokines was evaluated by qRT-PCR and ELISA. Protein expression levels of dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP-1), osteocalcin (OCN), and osteopontin (OPN) were detected by Western blot. ALP and Alizarin Red staining were used to assess mineralization capacity. Cell migration was evaluated using wound healing and Transwell assays. Transcriptome sequencing was performed to analyze gene expression profiles. RESULTS: APS at concentrations below 1000 μg/mL did not significantly affect cell viability. LPS significantly increased the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β, whereas APS treatment reduced their expression levels. LPS inhibited the expression of DSPP, DMP-1, OCN, and OPN, as well as mineralization capacity, while APS treatment reversed these effects. In addition, APS further enhanced cell migration. Transcriptome analysis indicated that differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in the NF-κB signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: APS attenuates inflammation and promotes odontogenic/osteogenic differentiation and migration of hDPSCs, potentially through inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway.