microRNA‐126 inhibits vascular cell adhesion molecule‐1 and interleukin‐1beta in human dental pulp cells

BACKGROUND: Vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM‐1) mediates pulpitis via regulating interleukin (IL)‐1β. microRNA (miR)‐126 was reported to regulate the VCAM‐1 under many different pathophysiological circumstances. We investigated variations of miR‐126 and VCAM‐1 in inflamed patient pulp tissues and determined potential roles of miR‐126 in pulpitis using human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) in vitro. METHODS: We quantitatively measured the transcripts of miR‐126 and VCAM‐1 in inflamed human pulp tissues using qRT‐PCR and compared with those from healthy human pulp tissues. In addition, we transfected miR‐126 in hDPCs using plasmid DNA (pDNA)‐encoding miR‐126 delivered by polyethylenimine (PEI) nanoparticles. RESULTS: The irreversible pulpitis significantly reduced miR‐126 and increased the transcript of VCAM‐1 in pulp tissues (p < 0.05). pDNA‐encoding miR‐126 delivered PEI nanoparticles and effectively upregulated the expression of miR‐126 in hDPCs (p < 0.05). The overexpression of miR‐126 could effectively suppress the transcripts and protein levels of VCAM‐1 and IL‐1β induced by Pg‐LPS at 100ng/mL in DPCs (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: miR‐126 is involved in pulpitis and downregulated the VCAM‐1 and IL‐1β in DPCs. miR‐126 may be a potential target to attenuate the inflammation of pulpitis.