Bergapten exerts a chondroprotective effect in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis by combining intestinal flora alteration and reactive oxygen species reduction

Qingxia Shen; Wanyi Huang; Yueyang Qiu; Shuze Wang; Bin Zhang; Ningning Sun; Qing Zhou

doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115525

Bergapten exerts a chondroprotective effect in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis by combining intestinal flora alteration and reactive oxygen species reduction

Biomed Pharmacother. 2023 Nov:167:115525. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115525. Epub 2023 Sep 23.

Authors

Qingxia Shen¹, Wanyi Huang¹, Yueyang Qiu¹, Shuze Wang¹, Bin Zhang¹, Ningning Sun², Qing Zhou³

Affiliations

¹ School and Hospital of Stomatology, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Shenyang, China.
² School and Hospital of Stomatology, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Shenyang, China. Electronic address: 20072053@cmu.edu.cn.
³ School and Hospital of Stomatology, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Shenyang, China. Electronic address: Zqforstudent@163.com.

PMID: 37748407
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115525

Abstract

Bergapten, a furanocoumarin naturally occurring in bergamot essential oil, has been demonstrated to have the potential to alleviate osteoarthritis-related symptoms via its anti-inflammatory activity. Although its systemic bioavailability is limited, its precise mechanisms of action and effects on temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJOA) and its relationship with the intestinal flora remain unclear. Here, we explored the anti-TMJOA effect of BGT combined with the interleukin-1β-induced inflammatory response of chondrocytes in a monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced TMJOA rat model. It was confirmed that BGT effectively reduced proinflammatory mediators and increased type II collagen, bone volume, and trabecular number of condyles in TMJOA rats. Importantly, the oral administration of BGT altered the intestinal flora of rats by increasing the relative abundances of nine prebiotic species and decreasing the relative abundance of one potential species. In addition, BGT considerably reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by suppressing glutathione, oxidized glutathione, and superoxide dismutase in the serum and malondialdehyde in urine. These results suggest that BGT exerts a chondroprotective effect, most likely by improving the intestinal flora and reducing ROS production associated with TMJOA in rats. This finding indicates a novel beneficial effect of BGT on the prevention and treatment of TMJOA.

Keywords: Bergapten; Intestinal flora; Osteoarthritis; Reactive oxygen species; Temporomandibular joint.