Effect of soft foods on primary human gingival epithelial cell growth and the wound healing process.

OBJECTIVES: Investigate the effect of soft diet foods on gingival epithelial cell growth, migration, and mediator secretion.

METHODS: Human gingival epithelial cells were stimulated for various time periods with the following soft diet foods: orange juice, drinkable yogurt, and a nutritional drink. Cell growth was determined by an MTT assay and cell migration was investigated by a scratch assay and F-actin filament staining. Keratin production was analyzed by Western blot and wound healing mediators IL-6 and human β-defensin 2 were quantified by ELISA.

RESULTS: We demonstrate, for the first time, that certain soft diet foods increased the production of keratin 5, 14, and 19 by gingival epithelial cells. These proteins were known to be produced by proliferating cells. The soft foods tested also stimulated gingival epithelial cells to produce IL-6 and human β-defensin 2. Soft foods are capable of promoting gingival epithelial cell migration by increasing F-actin production, which is part of the wound healing process. Results varied depending on the foods tested.

CONCLUSION: Gingival epithelial cells interacted with the soft diet foods under study. This interaction was shown to upregulate keratin expression, as well as IL-6 and human β-defensin 2 secretions. Furthermore, following cell wound, the soft foods upregulated post-scratch cell migration and F-actin production. Overall data suggest that the choice of foods in soft diets following oral surgery may influence the wound healing process of gingival epithelial cells.