The role of toll ‐like and protease‐activated receptors and associated intracellular signaling in Porphyromonas gingivalis‐infected gingival fibroblasts

This study investigates how the expression of protease‐activated receptors (PAR1, PAR2) and toll‐like receptors (TLR2, TLR4) changes with P. gingivalis exposure and how silencing of one receptor affects the expression of the other receptors. The importance of protein kinase C (PKC) and p38 in the regulation of CXCL8 and IL‐6 was also examined. Receptors were knockdown with small‐interfering RNA. PKC or p38 was blocked prior to stimulation with P. gingivalis. Fibroblasts were able to compensate for PAR1 knockdown with increased expression of PAR2. PKC and p38 were involved in the regulation of P. gingivalis‐induced CXCL8 and IL‐6. Our results indicate that PAR1 and PAR2 could be implicated in periodontitis and that PKC and P38 play a role in the inflammatory response in P. gingivalis‐infected gingival fibroblasts.

Source: APMIS - January 23, 2017 Category: Research Authors: Eleonor Palm, Isak Demirel, Torbj örn Bengtsson, Hazem Khalaf Tags: Original Article Source Type: research