Carbon Monoxide-Releasing Molecule-3 Suppresses Tumor Necrosis Factor-α- and Interleukin-1β-Induced Expression of Junctional Molecules on Human Gingival Fibroblasts via the Heme Oxygenase-1 Pathway

Human gingival fibroblast barrier dysfunction caused by inflammation contributes to gingivitis and can lead to inflammatory periodontal disease. The disease features include upregulated epithelial permeability, increased inflammatory mediators, and downregulated junctional complex molecules. Carbon monoxide- (CO-) releasing molecule-3 (CORM-3) is a water-soluble compound that has demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in in vitro and in vivo studies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of CORM-3 on the expression of tight and adherens junction molecules on human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) stimulated with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β). HGFs were cultured from the explants of normal human gingival tissues, which were stimulated in the presence or absence of CORM-3. Epithelial barrier function was evaluated by paracellular permeability and junctional complex molecule expression analyses. The protein and mRNA expression levels of adherens junction molecules (VE-cadherin and β-catenin) and tight junction molecules (zona occludens-1, ZO-1) were studied using western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The mRNA and protein expression levels of these cytokines were also analyzed in HGFs transiently transfected with HO-1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) in response to TNF-α and IL-1β stimulation. CORM-3 reduced permeability and enhanced the expression of junctional complex molecules (ZO-1, VE-cadherin, and β-catenin) in TNF-α- and IL-1β-induced HGFs. However, these effects of CORM-3 were attenuated when HO-1 siRNA was transiently transfected in HGFs. These findings indicate that CORM-3 exerts anti-inflammatory effects on TNF-α- and IL-1β-stimulated HGFs via the HO-1 pathway, which suggests the promising potential of CORM-3 in the treatment of inflammatory periodontal disease.