Inhibition of human endothelial cell proliferation in vitro in response to n-butyrate and propionate

The study aimed to investigate the effects of n-butyrate and propionate on the proliferation and viability of human endothelial cells in culture. Proliferation was assessed by a 24-hour bromodeoxyuridine pulse labelling and immunoperoxidase method and viability was assessed by a colorimetric viability (MTT) assay. Endothelial cells were isolated from human umbilical vein by collagenase digestion. Experiments were performed on 96-well plates and cultures were exposed to different concentrations of n-butyrate and propionate for 2 days. n-butyrate and propionate caused significant reductions in the proliferation of endothelial cells at concentrations of 1.25 mM and 10 mM respectively (p less than 0.05); the reduction in proliferation was dose-dependent for both agents. n-butyrate was a more potent inhibitor of proliferation than propionate. However, there were no significant effects on the viability of the cells with both agents up to the highest concentrations tested (25 mM). The data indicate that n-butyrate and propionate inhibit endothelial cell proliferation which may contribute to the pathogenic effects of dental plaque in periodontal disease.