The Effects of Extracellular Vesicles from Porphyrornonas gingivalis on Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Functions

Abstract

he purpose of this investigation was to deter-mine the effects of extracellular vesicles (ECV), suspected of having the potential to enhance the periodontal disease process, on polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) functions. We determined the effects of ECV derived from Porphyromonas gin-givalis (P. gingivalis), a suspected periodontal pathogen, on superoxide production, phagocytosis and chemotaxis of PMN. Moreover the interac-tion between ECV and PMN was observed by trans-mission electron microscopy (TEM). ECV from P. gingivalis W 50, W 83 and ATCC 33277 were extracted from the culture supernatant by the ammonium sulfate precipitation procedure. PMN were incubated for 60 minutes with ECV from P. gingivalis W 50. TEM observations showed that PMN phagocytosed ECV. Superoxide production by PMN was assayed by the dose response of ECV from three P. gingivalis strains and was evaluated by the cytochrome c reduction procedure. ECV from the three P. gingivalis strains had little effect on the superoxide production by PMN, but dose dependently significantly depressed the superoxide production by PMN stimulated with N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine or phorbol myris-tate acetate. PMN were incubated for 60 minutes with three P. gingivalis ECV. ECV depressed the PMN phagocytosis and chemotaxis, but not signifi-cantly. These results suggest that superoxide pro-duction, phagocytosis and chemotaxis by PMN are impaired by P. gingivalis ECV in the periodontal pockets or periodontal tissues and that ECV have the potential to enhance the periodontal disease process.