Search

BACKGROUND The bioactive metabolite KetoC, generated by intestinal bacteria, exerts various beneficial effects. Nevertheless, its function in the pathogenesis of periodontitis remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of KetoC in a mouse model of periodontitis and explored the underlying mechanism. METHODS Thirty-one 8-week-old male C57BL/6N mice were randomly divided into four groups (non-ligation, non-ligation + KetoC, ligation + Porphyromonas gingivalis, and ligation + P. gingivalis + KetoC) (n = 7/8 mice/group) and given a daily oral gavage of KetoC (15 mg/mL) or vehicle for 2 weeks. To induce periodontitis, a 5-0 silk ligature was placed on the maxillary left second molar on day 7, and P. gingivalis W83 (109 colony-forming unit [CFU]) was administered orally every 3 days. On day 14, all mice were euthanized. Alveolar bone destruction was determined from the level of the cemento-enamel junction to the alveolar bone crest. Moreover, bone loss level was confirmed from gingival tissue sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The presence of P. gingivalis was quantified using real-time polymerase chain reaction. In vitro, the bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects of KetoC were assessed by analyzing its suppressive activity on the proliferation of P. gingivalis and using a live/dead bacterial staining kit, respectively. A double-bond-deficient metabolite (KetoB) was then used to investigate the importance of double-bond structure in the antimicrobial activity of KetoC on P. gingivalis. RESULTS In vivo, KetoC attenuated alveolar bone destruction and suppressed P. gingivalis in the periodontitis group. In vitro, KetoC (but not KetoB) downregulated the proliferation and viability of P. gingivalis in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS KetoC reduced alveolar bone destruction in a periodontitis model via its antimicrobial function. Therefore, this bioactive metabolite may be valuable in clinical applications to support periodontal therapy.

Pro-protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), a secreted serine protease, regulates serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by targeting the degradation of LDL receptor (LDLR) in the liver. Although previous reports describe elevated levels of PCSK9 in patients with periodontitis, the mechanisms that trigger this increase in serum PCSK9 levels and induce the related inflammatory response remain unclear. In an

Objectives. Several serum biomarkers have been reported to increase in periodontitis patients as possible mediators linking periodontal inflammation to systemic diseases. However, the relationship between periodontitis and urine biomarkers is still unclear. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate potential urine biomarkers of periodontitis in a Japanese population.Materials and Methods. This study included 108 male subjects, and microbiological and clinical parameters were evaluated as a periodontitis marker. The correlation between nine urine biomarkers (typically used to diagnose kidney disease) and periodontal parameters was analyzed. Based on the findings,β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) were selected for comparison and multivariate regression analysis, and the Kruskal–Wallis test followed by Bonferroni correction was used to identify differences in their concentrations between the three periodontitis groups (severe, moderate, and no/mild periodontitis).Results.β2-MG and NGAL exhibited a significant correlation with clinical parameters of periodontitis. The prevalence of clinical parameters such as bleeding on probing and number of sites with probing depth (PD) ≥ 6 mm were greater in theβ2-MG high group (≥300 μg/g creatinine) than in the normal group (P=0.017and 0.019, respectively). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that the number of sites with PD ≥ 6 mm was independently associated with urineβ2-MG. Moreover, the number of sites with the clinical attachment level (CAL) ≥ 6 mm was greater in the NGAL high group (highest quartile) (P=0.041). Multivariate regression analysis showed that the number of sites with CAL ≥ 6 mm was associated independently with urine NGAL. Finally,β2-MG was significantly higher in the severe periodontitis subjects compared to the no/mild periodontitis subjects.Conclusion. The significant association between urineβ2-MG or NGAL and periodontitis was revealed. These biomarkers can potentially be used to screen for or diagnose periodontitis. This trial is registered with the UMIN Clinical Trials RegistryUMIN000013485.

Pro-protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), a secreted serine protease, regulates serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by targeting the degradation of LDL receptor (LDLR) in the liver. Although previous reports describe elevated levels of PCSK9 in patients with periodontitis, the mechanisms that trigger this increase in serum PCSK9 levels and induce the related inflammatory response remain unclear. In an unc93b1-deficient mouse of Porphyromonas gingivalis infection, nucleic acid antigen recognition via Toll-like receptors was found to promote PCSK9 production, suggesting an indirect role for tumor necrosis factor-α as an inducer of PCSK9 in contrast to that reported in previous studies. Furthermore, PCSK9 production was independent of the TIR domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β-dependent signaling pathway. These results indicate that changes in LDLR expression precede an increase in the serum PCSK9 level in the context of an infectious disease such as periodontitis.