Macrophage inflammatory prote in -3α (M1P-3a 01' CCL20) is an intr땅uing molecule in CanCel‘ irrununotherapy‘ but M1P-3 a expr ession and signaling are not well under s tood in oral cancer cell s. We investigated CCL20 expression a nd signal trans duction by treating immortal ized hllman oral keratinocyte (IHO찌 and oral ca ncer (뻐 4) cells with defe roxa llline (DFO) and examined the mRNA express ion 01' CCL20 using RT- PCR and ELI8A. lHOK and HN4 cells treated with DFO sbowed increased mRNA and protein expression 01' CCL20. and the upregulation 01' DFO-induced CCL20 expression was higher in IHOK cells than in HN4 cells 8elective inhibitors of p38 and ERKl/2 abol ished DF'O- induced CCL20 expression in both lHOK and HN12 cells. and p38 and ERKl/2 inhibitors prevented DFO- induceddegradati on 01' 1 -κ B and NF'-K B activation. Activation 01' c-fos and c-jun also occmred fo l lowing DFO treatment in IHOK and HN4 cells Collectively, these results suggest that DFO-indllced M1 P- 3a. which is involved in the MAP kinase‘ c-fos, c-jun, and NF-K B pathways, may be an important mediator of the a ntitumor immune response in oral keratinocytes ancl warrants con sideration as a target molecule for oral cancer t reatment

Heme oxygenase-l (HO-l) exhibits cyt oprotective effects in many different cell types and is induced by nicotine exposure in human gingival fibroblasts‘ However‘ therole of HO- l in cancer cells exposed to nicotine has not previously been descnbed We investigated the effects of nicotine on HO-l protein expression and cell viability in immortalized (IHOK) and malignant (HN12) human ora l keratinocyte cells using the MTT assay and Western blotting. We al so examined the involvement of t he phosphoinosit ide-3-0H- kinase (PI3K), mitogen-acti vated protein kinase (MAPK) , and nucJear factor-κ B (NF-κ B) signaling pathways in nicotine-induced cytotoxicity and HO- l levels in IHOK and HN12 cell s‘ Nicotine induced HO- l pro ducti on and had cytotoxic effects on cells in both a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Nicotine-induced cytotox icity and accumulation of HO- l were greater in JJ-IOK cells than in HN12 cells Molecular inhibitors of the ERK, p38 MAP kinase, PI3K, and NF-κ B signaling pathways blocked the cytotoxic effects and induction of J-IO-l expression by nicotine. Treatmen t with an t ioxida nts (bil irubin, N-acetyl cysteine) protected cells against nicotine-induced cytotoxicity and blocked the upregula tion of J-IO- l, the effects of which were more pronounced in II-IOK cells than in HN12 cells Collecti vely, these results suggest that J-IO- l plays a principal role in the protective response to nicotine in oral cancel and immortalized keratinocytes. Moreover, the addition of exogenous antioxidants may help to protect oral epithelial cells as chemopreventive agents against nicotine-induced oxidative stress.

Heme oxygenase-l (HO-l) exhibits cyt oprotective effects in many different cell types and is induced by nicotine exposure in human gingival fibroblasts‘ However‘ therole of HO- l in cancer cells exposed to nicotine has not previously been descnbed We investigated the effects of nicotine on HO-l protein expression and cell viability in immortalized (IHOK) and malignant (HN12) human ora l keratinocyte cells using the MTT assay and Western blotting. We al so examined the involvement of t he phosphoinosit ide-3-0H- kinase (PI3K), mitogen-acti vated protein kinase (MAPK) , and nucJear factor-κ B (NF-κ B) signaling pathways in nicotine-induced cytotoxicity and HO- l levels in IHOK and HN12 cell s‘ Nicotine induced HO- l pro ducti on and had cytotoxic effects on cells in both a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Nicotine-induced cytotox icity and accumulation of HO- l were greater in JJ-IOK cells than in HN12 cells Molecular inhibitors of the ERK, p38 MAP kinase, PI3K, and NF-κ B signaling pathways blocked the cytotoxic effects and induction of J-IO-l expression by nicotine. Treatmen t with an t ioxida nts (bil irubin, N-acetyl cysteine) protected cells against nicotine-induced cytotoxicity and blocked the upregula tion of J-IO- l, the effects of which were more pronounced in II-IOK cells than in HN12 cells Collecti vely, these results suggest that J-IO- l plays a principal role in the protective response to nicotine in oral cancel and immortalized keratinocytes. Moreover, the addition of exogenous antioxidants may help to protect oral epithelial cells as chemopreventive agents against nicotine-induced oxidative stress.

Previous in vi tro studies demonstrated that H202 or carbamide peroxide cou ld penetrate i nto pul p chambers through enamel and dentin (Benetti et a l., 2004; G okay et a l. , 2004‘ Suli eman et al .. 2005) ‘ Recently. Lee et al.(2006) demonstrated that H20Z enhanced the diffe rentiation of odontoblast like cell line, whereas it inhibited osteogenic diffe rentiation in pre 。steobl astic cell line, as seen by its efl"ecLs on an early difï"erentiation marker. ALP activity. I-lowever. the effects of HZ02 have not been well elucidated in primary cultured human pulp cells ln th is study‘ we investigated whether HO- 1 is involved in H20 2-induced cytotoxicity and examined the production 0 1" dent in sia lophosphoprotein (DSPP) and other minera li zation markers, in human pulp cells H20Z dec1'eased cell viabili ty. but increased HO-l and DSPP expression in a concentra t ion and time dependent manner. Inhibitors of guanylate cyclase, PI3K. ERK, and p38 MAP kinase blocked J-!?,0 2- induced cytot oxicity and the expression of HO-1 and DSPP mRNAs in pulp cells. These data suggest that t he induction of HO-l by H202 in pu lp cells plays a protective role against the cytotoxic effects of H202 and stimulates DSPP expression. resulting in prematu re oclontoblast differentiation th rough pathways t hat involve cGMP. p38. ancl ERK

Although substance P (SP). a potent pro-inflammatory peptide, is involved in inflammation and immune responses, the effect of SP 011 the expression of macl'ophage inJlammatol'Y protein 3a (MIP-3a. CCL20) in periodontal ligament (PDL) cells a l'e unknown Equally as enigmatic is the link between SP. the stress protein heme oxygenase-l (HO-l) , and CCL20 product ion. We investigated whether SP induces the release of chemokine CCL20 from irrunortalized POL (IPDL) cells. and further claif’y SP mediated pathways . We also exarnined the relationship between HO-l and CCL20 by treating POL cells with SP Incubating IPOL cells with SP incl'eased ex pl'ession of CCL20 mRNA and CCL20 protein in a dose-time dependent manner. Highly selective p38 and ERKl/2 inhibitors abl'ogated SP-induced expression of CCL20 lD IPOL cells SP is also responsible fo l' ini tiating phosphorylation of I/( B‘ degl'adation of IK B. and activation of NF-/( B. SP induced expression of HO-l in both a concentration- and time-dependent manner. and CCL20 refl ected similal' patterns. The inductive effects of SP on HO-l and CCL20 were enhanced by HO- l inducer hemin and the membrane-permea ble cGMP analog 8-bromo-cGMP Conversely, this pathway was inhi bited by the HO-l inhibitor zinc Pl'otoporphyrin IX (ZnPP IX) and the selective inhibitor of guanylate cyclase‘ 1H- [1. 2. 4]uxad iazole[4, 3-alquinoxal i n- 1-one (ODQ) We report hel'ein the pathway that connects SP a long with other modulators 0 1' neuroimmunoregulationto the induction of HO-1 and the inflanunatol'y mediatol' MIP- 3a /CCL20 in IPDL cel ls. which play an impol'tant role in the development 0 1' pe- I'iodontitis or inflammation during ol'thodontic tooth movement

Expression of invasion/metastasis suppressor, E-cadherin, is reduced in many types of human carcinomas. Although somatic and germline mutations in the CDH1, which encodes the human E-cadherin, have frequently been reported in cases with diffuse gastric and lobular breast cancers, irreversible genetic inactivations are rare in other human carcinomas. Recently, it has been well documented that some genes in human cancers may be inactivated by altered CpG methylation. Herein, we determined the expression and methylation status of E-cadherin in oral squamous cell carcinoma(SCC) by immunohistochemistry and methylation-specific PCR. The expression of E-cadherin was significantly higher in the well-differentiated oral SCCs than the moderately or poorly differentiated ones. None of eight tested benign epithelial hyperplasias showed aberrant methylation, whereas five of 12 oral squamous cell carcinomas showed aberrant methylation. When we compared E-cadherin expression with methylation status, oral SCCs with normal methylation showed a higher expression of E-cadherin than those with methylation. These findings suggest that aberrant CpG methylation of CDH1 promoter region is closely associated with transcriptional inactivation and might be involved in tumor progression of the oral mucosa.