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