Groupe de Recherche En Écologie Buccale, Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université Laval, 2420 rue de la Terrasse, Quebec City, QC, Canada.
Curr Drug Targets. 2011 Mar 1;12(3):322-31. doi: 10.2174/138945011794815310.
Periodontitis is a common chronic inflammatory disorder of bacterial origin, which affects the tooth-supporting tissues. A wide range of evidences suggests that Porphyromonas gingivalis plays a key role in the initiation and progression of chronic periodontitis. This Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium produces several types of proteolytic enzymes, including gingipains, collagenases, and a dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV. Although these enzymes have physiological functions for P. gingivalis, they have been suggested to play multiple roles in the pathogenic process of periodontitis. Indeed, P. gingivalis proteases hydrolyze a variety of serum and tissue proteins thus contributing to neutralize the immune defense system and to cause tissue destruction. Considering the key roles that P. gingivalis proteases may play in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, inhibitors of these enzymes are considered potentially new therapeutics agents. In recent years, several groups have identified natural plant-derived inhibitors effective on P. gingivalis proteases. More specifically, polyphenols isolated from cranberry and green tea were found to inhibit several proteases produced by P. gingivalis. This paper will discuss the pathological roles of P. gingivalis proteases and review the scientific literature for bioactive plant-derived compounds endowed with a capacity to inhibit these enzymes.
牙周炎是一种常见的细菌性慢性炎症性疾病，影响牙齿支持组织。大量证据表明，牙龈卟啉单胞菌在慢性牙周炎的发生和发展中起关键作用。这种革兰氏阴性厌氧菌产生多种类型的蛋白水解酶，包括牙龈蛋白酶、胶原酶和二肽基氨基肽酶 IV。尽管这些酶对牙龈卟啉单胞菌具有生理功能，但它们被认为在牙周炎的致病过程中发挥多种作用。事实上，牙龈卟啉单胞菌蛋白酶水解多种血清和组织蛋白，从而有助于中和免疫系统并导致组织破坏。鉴于牙龈卟啉单胞菌蛋白酶可能在牙周炎发病机制中发挥关键作用，这些酶的抑制剂被认为是潜在的新型治疗剂。近年来，一些研究小组已经鉴定出对牙龈卟啉单胞菌蛋白酶具有抑制作用的天然植物来源抑制剂。更具体地说，从蔓越莓和绿茶中分离出的多酚被发现可以抑制牙龈卟啉单胞菌产生的几种蛋白酶。本文将讨论牙龈卟啉单胞菌蛋白酶的病理作用，并综述具有抑制这些酶能力的生物活性植物来源化合物的科学文献。
