Abstract: Objective: To investigate the effect of human β-defensin-3 on the progression of periodontitis. Methods: Periodontitis models in mice were established through ligating the maxillary second molar with 5-0 silk thread. Mice in the experimental group were given human β-defensin-3 intraperitoneally with a dose of 100μg/kg. Mice with or without ligation were given phosphate buffer solution intraperitoneally as the control. Eight weeks later, the maxilla of each mouse was harvested and detected by Micro-CT scanning, HE staining, TRAP staining, and immunostaining. Results: Human β-defensin-3 reduced the alveolar bone loss and the number of osteoclast in alveolar bone. In addition, human β-defensin-3 alleviated the pathologic changes including thickened spinous layer, hyperplastic epithelial spikes, inflammatory cell infiltration, denatured and broken collagen fibers caused by ligation. Furthermore, lower IL-6, MCP-1 and TNF-α expressions were observed in mice treated with human β-defensin-3. Conclusion: Human β-defensin-3 alleviates the inflammation and destruction in periodontal tissue, thus slowing down the progress of periodontitis.

Key words: Human β-defensin-3, Periodontitis, Ligation, Inflammatory cytokine