Irisin attenuates P. gingivalis-suppressed osteogenic/cementogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament cells via p38 signaling pathway.

Regeneration of periodontal hard tissues damaged by Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is essential for tooth stability and dental health. Irisin, a myokine secreted by skeletal muscle, is involved in different biological processes, such as myogenesis, adipogenesis, neurogenesis and osteogenesis. However, whether irisin regulates the osteogenic/cementogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cell (hPDLCs), especially under P. gingivalis-triggered inflammation, remains unknown. In this study, we verified the suppression role of P. gingivalis in the osteogenic/cementogenic differentiation of hPDLCs. Also, compared with the control cells, hPDLCs with irisin stimulation showed higher expression of osteogenic-/cementogenic-related markers, ALP activity and mineralization ability, as measured by RT-qPCR, western blotting, ALP staining and Alizarin red staining, respectively. Moreover, the osteogenic/cementogenic differentiation-facilitating role of irisin was also demonstrated under P. gingivalis-elicited inflammation, which implied a rescue function of irisin in P. gingivalis-suppressed hPDLC differentiation. Finally, the underlying mechanism involved in the process was explored. We observed that the p38 signaling pathway was activated during irisin-accelerated hPDLC differentiation. Furthermore, hPDLC differentiation was weakened after the p38 inhibitor was applied. In summary, we found that irisin can facilitate the osteogenic/cementogenic differentiation of hPDLCs partially through the p38 signaling pathway, which may provide evidence for the regeneration of P. gingivalis-destroyed periodontal hard tissues.