Effect of chondroitin sulfate modified polyethyleneimine on mediating oligodeoxynucleotide YW002 in the treatment of periodontitis.

Purpose: In a previous study, we found that oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) YW002 could induce the activity of alkaline phosphatase of early osteogenesis in human periodontal membrane stem cells, and downregulate the synthesis of nitric oxide in RAW 264.7 cells in the late inflammatory stage, laying the experimental foundation for the subsequent application of ODN YW002 in periodontitis. However, free ODN does not easily adhere to cells and is easily hydrolyzed by nuclease, so the immune effect of ODN is greatly reduced. Therefore, the nano-drug delivery system provides a method for efficient delivery and uptake of ODN.

Methods: We synthesized a polyethyleneimine (PEI) modified chondroitin sulfate (CS) derivative (PEI-CS) Michael addition to deliver ODN YW002. We aimed to evaluate whether PEI-CS could effectively deliver YW002 to RAW 264.7 cells and if it can regulate inflammation . PEI-CS/YW002 nanocomplexes were locally injected into a mouse periodontitis model, and the therapeutic effects were evaluated by microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) and hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining.

Results: The results indicated that PEI-CS had good biocompatibility and could form a stable nanocomplex with YW002 at a mass ratio of 4 : 1. Moreover, PEI-CS could deliver YW002 into RAW 246.7 cells and markedly decreased the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Histological evaluation and micro-CT scanning showed that PEI-CS/YW002 nanocomplexes effectively inhibited periodontitis and reduced alveolar bone resorption in mice.

Conclusion: Our study has underscored the potential of PEI-CS/YW002 nanocomplexes as promising agents for the prevention and treatment of periodontitis due to their potent anti-inflammatory effects.