Human β- defensin-2 (hBD-2) is an antimicrobial peptide which is produced by epithelial cells after stimulation with microorganisms or inflammatory mediators. However, little is known as to whether the LPS and nicotine induces the expression of hBD-2 in periodontal l igament (PDL) cells. T he p urpose o f this s tudy was t o investigate t he r oles o f MAPKs pathway o f nicotine a nd L PS-induced hBD-2 expression in PDL cells. The maximal expression of hBD-2 was observed in nicotine 5 mM and LPS 1 μg/ml treated PDL cells. Nicotine and LPS induced the phosphorylation of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 and 2 (JNK1/2), and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) MAPK. ERK1/2 inhibitor SB203580, p38 inhibitor PD98059, and JNK inhibitor SP600125, blocked the effects of nicotine and LPS on hBD-2 upregulation in PDL cells. These results collectively suggest that hBD-2 is up-regulated in nicotine and LPS-treated PDL cells through activation of p38, ERK and JNK MAPKs pathway. Our data regarding the up-regulation of hBD-2 may help us to understand the antimicrobial mechanism in periodontal disease

The present study aimed to verify the effects of DFO on PDL cells, with particular emphasis on focusing on osteoblastic differentiation. Its mechanisms related to heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathway were also analyzed. DFO increased the expression of HO-1 and early osteoblastic differentiation markers, such as alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bone sialoprotein (BSP). DFO upregulated heme oxygenase-1. Treatment with HO-1 siRNA blocked the DFO-stimulated osteoblastic differentiation and HO-1 expression. The NF-kB inhibitor pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor Wortmannin, and p38 MAPK inhibitor U0126 blocked the effects of DFO on HO-1 expression and osteoblastic differentiation in PDL cells. Collectively, these data suggest that DFO promotes osteoblastic differentiation and induces the expression of defense protein HO-1 probably via PI3K, p38 MAPK, and NF-kB signalling pathways in PDL cells.

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A (eIF-5A) is essential for proliferation of eukaryotic cells, andwas identified as diagnotic marker in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical and endometrial cancer, but relatively little is known about thein vivo and in vitro expression patterns of eIF-5A in oral premalignant and malignant lesions mirror the expression levels observed in vitro with cells derived from normal oral mucosa, immortalized oral keratinocytes (IHOK) and primary and metastatic oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). We used an oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) progression model composed of cell lines and tissue specimens to characterize expression patterns by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. eIF-5A and PCNA levels are elevated in IHOKand primary and metastatic OSCC cella as compatred to normal human oral keraitinocytes. eIF5A and PCNA expression was l imited to basal cells of normal oral mucosa. eIF-5A and PCNA expression is increased in dysplastic epithelium spreading to more superficial layers, and its expression levels correlated significantly with the degree of dysplasia. Well and moderately differentiated OSCC showed strong expression of eIF-5A and PCNA. These results suggest that upregulated expression of eIF-5A seems to be an important epigenetic alteration that accompanies oral carcinogenic progression, and eIF-5A could be used as an biomarker for oral premalignat lesion or squamous cell carcinoma

Considering the great potential of iron chelators at inhibiting the proliferation of tumor cells, in order to determine the molecular and biological basis for the effects of iron chelator in oral cancer, we investigated the effects of iron chelator, desferrioxamine (DFO), on the gene profiling analysis of immortalized human oral keratinocytes (IHOK), and oral cancer cells (HN12), using the cDNA microarray. We identified 46 clones cDNA exhibiting more than 2 fold overexpression in DFO treated IHOK and HN12 cells, and 94 cDNA reveal more than 2 fold down-regulated expression. Examination of gene expression that differs between DFO treated vs. control IHOK and HN12 cells apprear to be related to : cell cycle regulator, cell growth and apoptosis, signal transduction and stress. p21 for cell cell cycle factor was upregualted, and cyclin-cdk gene was decreased expression, so we observed cell cycle arrest in DFO treated IHOK and HN12 cells. In tumor growth, we have identified downregulation of hemidesmosomal protein (bullous pemphigoid antigen 1) and epiregulin expression in DFO treated IHOK and oral cancer cells. Signal transducers including mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 5, serine/thereonine kinase 6 were downregulated with DFO treated cells, suggesting the DFO regulates the p38 MAP kianse pathway in immortalized and maignant oral keratincytes. In conclusion, we have demonstrated the high-throughput utility of cDNA array hybridization in parallel to the gene expression analysis to identify genes that are expressed differentially in DFO treated with immortalized and malignant oral keratinocytes. The differentially expressed genes identified here should be informative in DFO-induced anti-cancer effects.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of vi tamin D3 and 1'etinoic acid(RA) on the human mesenchymal stem ce!ls(MSC) g1'owth and osteogenic differentiations. Cell proliferation, mineralization, cell cycle, expression of cell cycle regu l atOJγ proteins and markers fo1' osteogenic differenatiaiton were determined by MTI assay, mineralization assay, flow cytomet1'Y‘ and Western blot analysis, respectively. Cell viability was dec1'ease by each vitamin D3 and RA added to MSC. it was more decrease by vitamin D3 and RA. Mineralized nodule formation revealed similar expression pattern with positive cont rol group at vitamin D3 and RA mixed add to MSC. At vitamin D3 and RA mixed add to MSC after 7 days of incubation was increase G1 s tage. after 21 days of incubation was inhibit cell cycle prog1'ess by inc1'ease of sub-G1 Treatment vitamin D3 to MSC inhibits p53 and p21, but inc1'ease pRb. RA inhibit p53, but increase p21 and pRb, vitamin D3 plus RA group was same as added RA group. so two vitamin was effect to inhibited cell growth each different mechanism. Expression of BMP-2 protein was prominent in osteogonic supplement treated g1'oup of MSC at 2 weeks cultivation days, but vi tamin D3 treatment decreased BMP-2 expression rather than in (+) control group. BSP protein was notably increased in the OS compa red to positive controls at 2 weeks cultivation, but similar to that of vitamin D3 group t1'eatment group and was least expressed in plus RA mixed group, at 3 weeks, BSP expression was similar to 1'esult of 2 weeks Collectively, these results shows that vitamin D3 and RA have diffe1'ential effects on the MSCs g1'owth and differ entia tion 211