Porphyromonas gingivalis Lipopolysaccharide Stimulation of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Activates Proliferation and Calcification

• Autores: Guirong Liu, Jing Deng, Fu-Qiang Zhang, Wenbin Song, Shulan Chen, Xiuxiu Lou, Pengmei Zhang, Keqing Pan
• Localización: Journal of periodontology, ISSN 0022-3492, Vol. 87, Nº. 7, 2016, págs. 828-836
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Background: Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) is a major etiologic agent of periodontitis, whose virulence has been attributed to different factors, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

    Vascular ectopic calcification as a well-known major risk factor for adverse cardiovascular diseases is a highly prevalent vascular pathophenotype, and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) play an important role in mediating vascular calcification.

    It was hypothesized that Pg-LPS may stimulate vascular calcification through a direct effect on VSMC function. To test this hypothesis, the effect of Pg-LPS on VSMC calcification was determined.

    Methods: Primary cultures of VSMCs were obtained and identified by immunochemistry in vitro. The proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of VSMCs were measured using a cell counting kit and an ALP activity test. Mineral deposition was examined using alizarin red staining. Gene (e.g.

    ALP, core binding factor a1 [Cbfa1], bone sialoprotein [BSP], and osteopontin [OPN]) expression levels altered by Pg-LPS were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction array.

    Results: Pg-LPS could increase the proliferation of VSMCs at different times and enhance ALP activity of VSMCs after 1 day. Alizarin red staining and quantification showed that, with Pg-LPS treatment, VSMCs displayed more obvious calcifi- cation nodules. When stimulated with Pg-LPS, the expression of specific osteogenic genes (e.g., ALP, Cbfa1, BSP, and OPN) was significantly promoted in the presence or absence of mineralization-inducing medium, whereas the expression of the OPN gene was inhibited in the mineralization induction group at day 7.

    Conclusion: Pg-LPS can stimulate VSMC calcification, which results in vascular calcification, further proving the precise relationship between periodontitis and vascular calcification.

    J Periodontol 2016;87:828-836.