Anti-apoptotic effect of resveratrol: regulate of mitochondrial pathway in high tensile stress-induced goat temporomandibular joint disc cells

Abstract Background: Attenuating of temporomandibular joint disc (TMJ disc) cells apoptosis may be an effective strategy to reduce abnormal stress-induced disc degeneration. However, a potential target to regulate the apoptosis of TMJ disc cells under abnormal stress is still inconclusive. Resveratrol (RSV) is a polyphenol with multiple effects such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-apoptosis. In this study, an appropriate periodic tensile stress was selected to induce apoptosis in goat TMJ disc cells. To examine the effect and mechanism of RSV on cells via apoptosis under high tensile stress. Results: An experimental model of high tensile stress-induced cells were successfully constructed with 8% stretching stimulus. CCK-8 and Flow cytometry assay showed that 8% tensile stress significantly promoted the apoptosis of TMJ disc cells. However, RSV (7.5μM) attenuated cell apoptosisunder high tensile stress, reflected by the increased ability of cell proliferation and decreased apoptosis rate. Furthermore, the gene expression of pro-apoptotic molecules (Bax and Caspase-3) was down-regulated, whereas that of anti-apoptotic molecule (Bcl-2) was up-regulated. It can be concluded that the mitochondrial pathway exerted an essential role in the regulation of apoptosis by RSV. Conclusion: High-intensity stress effectively promotes the apoptosis of goat TMJ disc cells, while RSV is able to reverse cell apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. This work provides a new reference for the clinical treatment of abnormal stress-induced TMJ disc degeneration.