Radical-scavenging and Pro-/anti-inflammatory Activity of Tetracycline and Related Phenolic Compounds With or Without Visible Light Irradiation

BACKGROUND/AIM: Microbial tetracycline (TC) pastes have been employed to treat oral bacterial infection. In the present study, we investigated the kinetic radical-scavenging and pro-/anti-inflammatory activity of TC with or without visible light irradiation (VLI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The radical-scavenging activity of TC and minocycline (MC) was determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The stoichiometric factor (n) and the rate constant of inhibition and propagation (kinh/kp) were determined. The levels of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (Tnfalpha) or nitric oxide synthase 2 (Nos2) mRNA in RAW264.7 cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were investigated using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The n and kinh/kp values for 1 mM TC in 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile and benzoyl peroxide systems were 0.1-0.2 and 119-250, respectively, whereas the corresponding values for quercetin (QU) and resveratrol (RE) were 2-4 and 7-15, respectively. In RAW264.7 cells stimulated with LPS, Cox2 and Tnfalpha mRNA were over-expressed in the presence of TC. MC down-regulated only the expression of Cox2 by about 50% in LPS-stimulated cells. The anti-inflammatory activity determined on the basis of Cox2 inhibition declined in the order QU>RE>MC>TC. Upon application of VLI, only TC down-regulated the expression of LPS-stimulated Cox2 and Tnfalpha mRNA. After exposure to VLI, TC, but not MC, markedly up-regulated hemoxygenase-1 (Ho-1) expression. CONCLUSION: TC is a chain-breaking antioxidant with a large kinh Upon activation by VLI, TC may undergo degradation and its degradation products affect pleiotropic mediators such as Cox2, Tnfalpha and Ho-1. TC may be useful as a local photodynamic therapy for periodontal diseases.