Ribonucleic Acid Sequencing Reveals the Upregulation and Resolution of Inflammation and Extracellular Matrix Remodeling in Lidocaine-Treated Human Acute Monocytic Leukemia Cell Line THP-1

Lidocaine, a local anesthetic widely used in dentistry, is esteemed for its efficacy and safety. Recent research reveals its additional role in modulating the immune system, and particularly in reducing inflammation crucial for protecting tooth-supporting tissues. Notably, monocytes and macrophages, essential cellular components overseeing various physiological and pathological processes, stand as potential mediators of lidocaine’s effects. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how lidocaine influences cell behavior using RNA sequencing. To investigate the effect of lidocaine on THP-1 cells’ behavior, we performed an MTT assay and RNA-Seq along with qPCR analyses to evaluate the transcriptomic and proteomic changes in THP-1 cells. Our results showed that a high dose of lidocaine (>1 mM) had a significant cytotoxic effect on THP-1 cells. However, a lidocaine dose lower than 0.5 mM induced a mixed anti-inflammatory profile by significantly upregulating tissue remodeling (GDF15, FGF7, HGF, COL4A3, COL8A2, LAMB2, LAMC2, PDGFRA, and VEGFA) and through the resolution of inflammation (Cpeb4, Socs1, Socs2, Socs3, Dusp1, Tnfaip3, and Gata3) gene cassettes. This study explores the effect of lidocaine on the THP-1 in the M2-like healing phenotype and provides potential applications of lidocaine’s therapeutic effectiveness in dental tissue repair.