Effect of Nicotine and Porphyromonas gingivalis Lipopolysaccharide on Endothelial Cells In Vitro

Smoking is considered a significant risk factor for both periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Endothelial cells play an important role in the progression of both diseases. In the present study, we investigated in vitro the impact of nicotine on functional properties of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis. HUVECs were stimulated with different concentrations of nicotine (10 µM-10 mM) and/or P. gingivalis LPS. Expression levels of intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, E-selectin, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1, and interleukin-8 were measured on both gene and protein levels. Cell proliferation/viability, apoptosis, and migration were also investigated. Nicotine at a concentration of 10 mM significantly decreased P. gingivalis LPS-induced expression of all investigated proteins after 4 h stimulation, while lower nicotine concentrations had no significant effect on protein expression with or without P. gingivalis LPS. Proliferation/viability of HUVECs was also significantly inhibited by 10-mM nicotine but not by lower concentrations. Migration of HUVECs was significantly decreased by nicotine at concentrations of 1–10 mM. Nicotine at a concentration similar to that observed in the serum of smokers had no significant effect on the functional properties of HUVECs. However, high concentrations of nicotine, similar to that observed in the oral cavity of smokers, inhibited the inflammatory response of HUVECs. This effect of nicotine might be associated with decreased gingival bleeding indices in smoking periodontitis patients.