Cyclic AMP and prostaglandins in periodontal disease.

Since inflamed gingiva contain significantly higher levels of endogenous PGs (8) and cAMP than normal gingiva and since exogenous PGs have been shown to stimulate endogenous cAMP synthesis in gingiva in vitro, we suggest that the increase in the endogenous cAMP levels found in the inflamed tissue may be attributable to the increase in endogenous PGs. Cyclic AMP has been reported to stabilize the lysosomal membranes of inflammatory cells; hence, the increase in cAMP formation in inflammation seems to be associated with an endogenous compensatory protective mechanism which is able to stop immune or allergic reactions (9, 10).