Abstract
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), a volatile sulfur compound, is implicated as a cause of inflammation, especially when it is produced by bacteria colonizing gastrointestinal organs. However, it is unclear if H2S produced by periodontal pathogens affects the inflammatory responses mediated by oral/gingival epithelial cells. Therefore, the aims of this study were (1) to compare the in vitro production of H2S among 14 strains of oral bacteria and (2) to evaluate the effects of H2S on inflammatory response induced in host oral/gingival epithelial cells. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) produced the most H2S in culture, which, in turn, resulted in the promotion of proinflammatory cytokine IL-8 from both gingival and oral epithelial cells. The up-regulation of IL-8 expression was reproduced by the exogenously applied H2S. Furthermore, the mutant strains of Pg that do not produce major soluble virulent factors, i.e. gingipains, still showed the production of H2S, as well as the promotion of epithelial IL-8 production, which was abrogated by H2S scavenging reagents. These results demonstrated that Pg produces a concentration of H2S capable of up-regulating IL-8 expression induced in gingival and oral epithelial cells, revealing a possible mechanism that may promote the inflammation in periodontal disease.