Thereafter, the efficacies of DPC@NPs against the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were evaluated, in which DPC@NPs and E. coli LPS were added to the culture medium containing DPCs simultaneously as prophylactic regimens (Fig. 5a) and DPC@NPs were added after the DPCs were stimulated by E. coli LPS for 1 h as therapeutic regimens (Fig. 5b).30 The in vivo experiment showed that pulpitis was at an early stage within 24 h after LPS stimulation. This evidence concerns the gene CXCL8 and pulpitis.