Aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, ASA) has been shown to improve bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-based calvarial bone regeneration by promoting osteogenesis and inhibiting osteoclastogenesis. However, it remains unknown whether aspirin influences other immune cells during bone formation. In the present study, we investigated whether ASA treatment influenced macrophage activation during the LPS inducement. We found that ASA could downregulate the expressions of iNOS and TNF-α both in mouse peritoneum macrophages and RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS via the IκK/IκB/NF-κB pathway and a COX2/PGE2/EP2/NF-κB feedback loop, without affecting the expressions of FIZZ/YM-1/ARG1 induced by IL-4. Furthermore, we created a rat mandibular bone defect model and showed that ASA treatment improved bone regeneration by inhibiting LPS-induced macrophage activation in the early stages of inflammation. Taken together, our results indicated that ASA treatment was a feasible strategy for improving bone regeneration, particularly in inflammatory conditions.

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