RESUMO
Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of Porphyromonas gingivalis have been implicated in the initiation and development of periodontal diseases. In a previous study, we investigated the signal transduction pathway of P. gingivalis and demonstrated that LPS stimulates the production of interleukin (IL)-6 in human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs), which in turn activates osteoclasts in vitro. The cytokine, IL-10, was initially described as cytokine synthesis inhibitory factor. In this study, we examined that effect of IL-10 on P. gingivalis LPS-induced human gingival fibroblast production of IL-6. LPS-induced IL-6 production was inhibited by IL-10 in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis showed that HGFs bind to fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC) labeled IL-10. Western blotting analysis demonstrated the expression of IL-10 receptor on the cell surface of these cells. Engagement of LPS initiated the protein tyrosine phosphorylation of several intracellular proteins including extracellular signal-regulated kinase 2 (ERK2), and these events were suppressed by IL-10. These results suggest that IL-10 inhibits the inflammatory response via the IL-10 receptor in P. gingivalis LPS-initiated periodontal diseases.