Porphyromonas gingivalis fimbriae induce expression of the neutrophil chemotactic factor KC gene of mouse peritoneal macrophages: role of protein kinase C.

To account for infiltration of the periodontal tissues by neutrophils, the present study was undertaken to examine whether Porphyromonas gingivalis fimbriae, important structures involved in attachment of the bacteria to periodontal tissues, induce gene expression of the neutrophil chemoattractant KC in macrophages. The fimbriae induced expression of the KC gene of mouse peritoneal macrophages in a dose-dependent fashion. The peak of KC gene expression was observed as early as 1 h after initiation of the treatment. However, the gene expression was short lived, with the expression decreasing gradually after 6 h. A nuclear transcriptional assay showed that the fimbriae regulated the KC gene expression at a posttranscriptional level. We observed that the fimbria-induced KC gene expression was not regulated by endogenous or exogenous prostaglandin. Furthermore, forskolin, a potent activator of adenyl cyclase, and dibutyryl cyclic AMP were incapable of inducing KC gene expression of the peritoneal macrophages. H-8 and HA 1004, inhibitors of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases, had little effect on the fimbria-induced KC gene expression. On the other hand, the fimbria-induced KC gene expression was inhibited markedly by treatment with H-7, a potent inhibitor of protein kinase C. We also observed that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, a specific activator of protein kinase C, induced KC gene expression of peritoneal macrophages in a dose-dependent fashion. In addition, the fimbria-induced KC gene expression was suppressed in the peritoneal macrophages pretreated for 24 h with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. These results suggest that the KC gene expression was mediated through activation of protein kinase C and not through that of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases. The present study indicates that P. gingivalis fimbriae can induce gene expression of the neutrophil chemotactic factor KC by macrophages via protein kinase C and suggests that this factor may be involved in infiltration of neutrophils into the periodontal tissues of adult periodontal patients.