Periodontitis, recognized as a chronic inflammatory condition, manifests through sustained gingival inflammation and gradual degradation of alveolar bone tissue. Without proper intervention, this pathological process may culminate in permanent tooth detachment. Consequently, therapeutic strategies for periodontitis primarily focus on mitigating inflammatory reactions and stimulating osseous tissue regeneration. Recent pharmacological investigations have highlighted artesunate (ART) as a compound exhibiting notable anti-inflammatory efficacy, though its clinical application is constrained by limited aqueous solubility and suboptimal pharmacokinetic properties. Carbon-based quantum dots, emerging as versatile nanoscale materials, demonstrate multiple biological functionalities. This research successfully synthesized artesunate-derived carbon dots (ACDs) through hydrothermal synthesis and comprehensively evaluated their dual therapeutic effects on inflammation suppression and bone formation enhancement in periodontal disease models. Experimental data revealed that ACDs exhibit improved hydrophilicity, favorable biocompatibility, and simultaneous anti-inflammatory/osteogenic capabilities. Mechanistically, ACDs activated the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), subsequently inhibiting nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling transduction, which effectively reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. AMPK pathway activation further upregulated expression patterns of osteogenic differentiation markers at both mRNA translation and protein synthesis levels, enhanced mineralization capacity in rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMSCs), and increased calcified nodule formation. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that ACDs effectively counteract lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory responses while substantially improving bone regenerative processes through AMPK pathway modulation. This investigation suggests ACDs as a promising nanotechnology-based approach for periodontitis management.

Keywords: AMPK; Artesunate; Carbon dots; Osteogenesis; Periodontitis.

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周期性牙周炎被认定为一种慢性炎症性疾病，通过持续的牙龈炎症和逐渐退化的牙槽骨组织来表现。如果不进行适当的干预措施，这种病理过程可能导致牙齿永久脱落。因此，治疗周期性牙周炎的主要策略集中在减轻炎症反应并刺激骨组织再生上。最近的药理学研究将青蒿素（ART）作为具有显著抗炎功效的化合物高亮出来，尽管其临床应用受到溶解度低和药代动力学特性不佳的限制。基于碳的量子点作为一种多功能纳米级材料，展示出多种生物功能。这项研究成功地通过水热合成法合成了来源于青蒿素的碳点（ACDs），并全面评估了它们在牙周疾病模型中抑制炎症和促进骨形成增强的双重治疗效果。实验数据表明，ACDs表现出改善的亲水性、良好的生物相容性和同时具备抗炎/成骨能力的特点。从机制上来看，ACDs激活了腺苷单磷酸激活蛋白激酶（AMPK），随后抑制核因子κ-轻链多肽增强子活化B细胞（NF-κB）信号传导途径，有效减少了促炎症细胞因子的分泌。AMPK通路的激活进一步上调了骨分化标志物在mRNA翻译和蛋白质合成水平上的表达模式，增强了大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞（rBMSCs）的矿化能力，并增加了钙化的结节形成。综上所述，这些发现表明ACDs可以有效对抗脂多糖（LPS）诱导的炎症反应，并通过调节AMPK通路显著改善骨再生过程。这项研究将ACDs作为用于治疗周期性牙周炎的有前景的纳米技术方法。

关键词： AMPK；青蒿素；碳点；成骨作用；周期性牙周炎。

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