Porphyromonas gingivalis triggers the shedding of inflammatory endothelial microvesicles that act as autocrine effectors of endothelial dysfunction (original) (raw)

Porphyromonas gingivalis Strain-Dependent Activation of Human Endothelial Cells

Infection and Immunity, 2004

Porphyromonas gingivalis is an important bacterium involved in periodontal diseases. Colonization by periodontopathogens has been associated with severe local inflammatory reactions in the connective tissue. In this study we characterized P. gingivalis-mediated infection and activation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells by using two strains of different virulence capacities, strains ATCC 53977 and DSMZ 20709. Both strains were able to adhere to and infect endothelial cells with an infection rate of 0.48% for ATCC 53977 and 0.007% for DSMZ 20709. The triggering of two signal transduction pathways in P. gingivalis-infected endothelial cells was demonstrated for both strains, with a rapid increase of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation and a more delayed degradation of IB␣, followed by nuclear translocation of NF-B. In addition, both strains induced enhanced expression of endothelial adhesion molecules E-selectin and intracellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1). Target cell activation was independent of bacterial fimbriae expression since the fimA knockout strain A7436 ⌬fimA induced the same level of ICAM-1 as the corresponding wild type (A7436-WT). Thus, two P. gingivalis strains, ATCC 53799 and DSMZ 20709, infect endothelial cells and trigger signaling cascades leading to endothelial activation, which in turn may result in or promote severe local and systemic inflammation.

Active Invasion of Oral and Aortic Tissues by Porphyromonas gingivalis in Mice Causally Links Periodontitis and Atherosclerosis

PLoS ONE, 2014

Atherosclerotic vascular disease is a leading cause of myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident, and independent associations with periodontal disease (PD) are reported. PD is caused by polymicrobial infections and aggressive immune responses. Genomic DNA of Porphyromonas gingivalis, the best-studied bacterial pathogen associated with severe PD, is detected within atherosclerotic plaque. We examined causal relationships between chronic P. gingivalis oral infection, PD, and atherosclerosis in hyperlipidemic ApoE null mice. ApoE null mice (n = 24) were orally infected with P. gingivalis for 12 and 24 weeks. PD was assessed by standard clinical measurements while the aorta was examined for atherosclerotic lesions and inflammatory markers by array. Systemic inflammatory markers serum amyloid A, nitric oxide, and oxidized low-density lipoprotein were analyzed. P. gingivalis infection elicited specific antibodies and alveolar bone loss. Fluorescent in situ hybridization detected viable P. gingivalis within oral epithelium and aorta, and genomic DNA was detected within systemic organs. Aortic plaque area was significantly increased in P. gingivalis-infected mice at 24 weeks (P,0.01). Aortic RNA and protein arrays indicated a strong Th2 response. Chronic oral infection with P. gingivalis results in a specific immune response, significant increases in oral bone resorption, aortic inflammation, viable bacteria in oral epithelium and aorta, and plaque development.

Porphyromonas gingivalis Differentially Modulates Cell Death Profile in Ox-LDL and TNF-α Pre-Treated Endothelial Cells

Objective Clinical studies demonstrated a potential link between atherosclerosis and periodontitis. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), one of the main periodontal pathogen, has been associated to atheromatous plaque worsening. However, synergism between infection and other endo-thelial stressors such as oxidized-LDL or TNF-α especially on endothelial cell (EC) death has not been investigated. This study aims to assess the role of Pg on EC death in an inflammatory context and to determine potential molecular pathways involved. Methods Human umbilical vein ECs (HUVECs) were infected with Pg (MOI 100) or stimulated by its lipopolysaccharide (Pg-LPS) (1μg/ml) for 24 to 48 hours. Cell viability was measured with AlamarBlue test, type of cell death induced was assessed using Annexin V/propidium iodide staining. mRNA expression regarding caspase-1,-3,-9, Bcl-2, Bax-1 and Apaf-1 has been evaluated with RT-qPCR. Caspases enzymatic activity and concentration of APAF-1 protein were evaluated to confirm mRNA results. Results Pg infection and Pg-LPS stimulation induced EC death. A cumulative effect has been observed in Ox-LDL pre-treated ECs infected or stimulated. This effect was not observed in TNF-α pre-treated cells. Pg infection promotes EC necrosis, however, in infected Ox-LDL pre-treated ECs, apoptosis was promoted. This effect was not observed in TNF-α pre-treated cells highlighting specificity of molecular pathways activated. Regarding mRNA expression, Pg increased expression of pro-apoptotic genes including caspases-1,-3,-9, Bax-1 and decreased expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2. In Ox-LDL pre-treated ECs, Pg increased significantly the expression of Apaf-1. These results were confirmed at the protein level.

Infection with Porphyromonas gingivalis Exacerbates Endothelial Injury in Obese Mice

PLoS ONE, 2014

Background: A number of studies have revealed a link between chronic periodontitis and cardiovascular disease in obese patients. However, there is little information about the influence of periodontitis-associated bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), on pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in obesity. In vivo experiment: C57BL/6J mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) or normal chow diet (CD), as a control. Pg was infected from the pulp chamber. At 6 weeks post-infection, histological and immunohistochemical analysis of aortal tissues was performed. In vitro experiment: hTERT-immortalized human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HuhT1) were used to assess the effect of Pg/Pg-LPS on free fatty acid (FFA) induced endothelial cells apoptosis and regulation of cytokine gene expression. Results: Weaker staining of CD31 and increased numbers of TUNEL positive cells in aortal tissue of HFD mice indicated endothelial injury. Pg infection exacerbated the endothelial injury. Immunohistochemically, Pg was detected deep in the smooth muscle of the aorta, and the number of Pg cells in the aortal wall was higher in HFD mice than in CD mice. Moreover, in vitro, FFA treatment induced apoptosis in HuhT1 cells and exposure to Pg-LPS increased this effect. In addition, Pg and Pg-LPS both attenuated cytokine production in HuhT1 cells stimulated by palmitate. Conclusions: Dental infection of Pg may contribute to pathogenesis of atherosclerosis by accelerating FFA-induced endothelial injury.

Porphyromonas gingivalis accelerates inflammatory atherosclerosis in the innominate artery of ApoE deficient mice

2010

Objective: Studies in humans support a role for the oral pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis in the development of inflammatory atherosclerosis. The goal of this study was to determine if P. gingivalis infection accelerates inflammation and atherosclerosis in the innominate artery of mice, an artery which has been reported to exhibit many features of human atherosclerotic disease, including plaque rupture. Methods and results: Apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE −/−) mice were orally infected with P. gingivalis, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to monitor the progression of atherosclerosis in live mice. P. gingivalis infected mice exhibited a statistically significant increase in atherosclerotic plaque in the innominate artery as compared to uninfected mice. Polarized light microscopy and immunohistochemistry revealed that the innominate arteries of infected mice had increased lipids, macrophages and T cells as compared to uninfected mice. Increases in plaque, total cholesterol esters and cholesterol monohydrate crystals, macrophages, and T cells were prevented by immunization with heat-killed P. gingivalis prior to pathogen exposure. Conclusions: These are the first studies to demonstrate progression of inflammatory plaque accumulation in the innominate arteries by in vivo MRI analysis following pathogen exposure, and to document protection from plaque progression in the innominate artery via immunization.

Porphyromonas gingivalis infection and prothrombotic effects in human aortic smooth muscle cells

Thrombosis Research, 2009

Introduction-Accumulating evidence has demonstrated an association between periodontal infectious agents, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, and vascular disease. Tissue factor (TF) and its specific tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) are produced by vascular smooth cells and are important regulators of the coagulation cascade. Materials and Methods-To assess the role of P. gingivalis in atherothrombosis, we infected primary human aortic smooth cells (HASMC) with either P. gingivalis 381, its non-invasive mutant DPG3, or heat-killed P. gingivalis 381. Levels and activity of TF and TFPI were measured 8 and 24 hours after infection in cell extracts and cell culture supernatants. Results-P. gingivalis 381 did not affect total TF antigen or TF activity in HASMC, but it significantly suppressed TFPI levels and activity compared to uninfected control cells, and those infected with the non-invasive mutant strain or the heat-killed bacteria. Further, P. gingivalis' LPS (up to a concentration of 5 μg/ml) failed to induce prothrombotic effects in HASMC, suggesting a significant role for the ability of whole viable bacteria to invade this cell type. Conclusion-These data demonstrate for the first time that infection with a periodontal pathogen induces a prothrombotic response in HASMC.

Role for Fimbriae and Lysine-Specific Cysteine Proteinase Gingipain K in Expression of Interleukin-8 and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein in Porphyromonas gingivalis-Infected Endothelial Cells

Infection and Immunity, 2002

Recent cross-sectional and prospective epidemiological studies have demonstrated an association between periodontal disease and atherosclerosis and human coronary heart disease. Previously, we have established that the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis is capable of invading aortic, heart, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Since atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory response initiated at the vascular wall, interactions of P. gingivalis with endothelial cells and the subsequent host cell response to infection may be important in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In this study we examined the consequences of P. gingivalis infection of HUVEC on the expression of the chemokines interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1). HUVEC were found to constitutively produce low levels of IL-8 and MCP-1. The addition of P. gingivalis fimbrillin-specific peptides, lipopolysaccharides (LPS), or heat-killed whole cell preparations to HUVEC stim...

Local and Systemic Up-regulation of TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6 in Mice Intratracheally Inoculated with Porphyromonas gingivalis

Acta Veterinaria Brno, 2008

The objective of the study was to find whether a single intratracheal inoculation with live Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC 33277 influences local and systemic inflammatory and immune responses in mice.Twelve-week-old BALB/c mice were intratracheally inoculated with 2.9 × 109 CFU P. gingivalis ATCC 33277 diluted in 40 μl sterile phosphate buffer (treated group) or with sterile PBS (control group). The animals were sacrificed 2, 6, 24, 72 and 168 h after inoculation. TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6 and total protein concentrations were measured in the serum, lungs and kidneys. Six hours after P. gingivalis inoculation, TNFα concentration was significantly increased in serum (p = 0.02) and kidneys (p = 0.04), but in the lungs TNFα production was enhanced already 2 h (p < 0.0001) after inoculation, reaching the peak after 6 h (p < 0.0001). The IL-1β concentration was also significantly increased in serum after 2 h (p = 0.006), remaining significantly elevated up to 3 days (p ≤ 0.0001) after inoc...

The host cytokine response to Porphyromonas gingivalis is modified by gingipains

Oral Microbiology and Immunology, 2009

Background/aims-Clinical studies indicate that primary proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) are elevated in the gingival crevice around teeth with periodontitis but the secondary cytokines and chemokines, IL-6 and IL-8, are not. The human gingival epithelial cells (HGECs) lining the gingival sulcus respond to perturbation by microbes of dental plaque by releasing a wide range of cytokines. Porphyromonas gingivalis, a putative periodontal pathogen, possesses numerous virulence factors some of which directly impact on the host response. In the present study, we sought to determine how P. gingivalis influences the inflammatory cytokine responses.