Effects of Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide on Proliferation and Migration of Human Buccal Mucosa Fibroblasts

To explore the effects of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) on the proliferation and migration of human buccal mucosal fibroblasts (HBMFs). HBMFs were primarily cultured and pretreated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as an inflammatory stimulant. The cells in experimental group and control group were transfected with overexpressed pcDNA3.1-VIP and its control pcDNA3.1-VIP-NC, and LPS group was also set. All cells were routinely cultured. Then the cell proliferative activity and migration capacity were detected by MTT assay and wound healing assay, respectively. The mRNA expressions of N-cadherin and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were determined using qRT-PCR, and the expression levels of VIP and macrophage metalloelastase (MME) were detected by Western blotting. Compared with LPS group, the cell proliferative activity and migration capacity, the mRNA expressions of N-cadherin and PCNA, and the expressions of VIP and MME were significantly increased in experimental group (P<0.05). Overexpression of VIP can enhance the proliferation and migration of HBMFs, probably by regulating the expression of MME.