Inhibitory effects of macrocarpals on the biological activity of Porphyromonas gingivalis and other periodontopathic bacteria.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Macrocarpals, which are phloroglucinol derivatives contained in eucalyptus leaves, exhibit antimicrobial activity against a variety of bacteria including oral bacteria. This study examined effects of macrocarpals A, B, and C on periodontopathic bacteria, especially Porphyromonas gingivalis. METHODS: Macrocarpals A, B, and C were purified from a 60% ethanol-extract of Eucalyptus globules leaves. To investigate antibacterial activity, representative periodontopathic bacteria were cultured in media with or without various amounts of macrocarpals; subsequently, the optical density at 660 nm was measured. Macrocarpal inhibition of P. gingivalis Arg- and Lys-specific proteinases was assessed by spectrofluorophotometric assay and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis. The effect of macrocarpals on P. gingivalis binding to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite beads was examined with (3)H-labeled P. gingivalis. RESULTS: Growth of P. gingivalis was inhibited more strongly than growth of Prevotella intermedia or Prevotella nigrescens and Treponema denticola by macrocarpals, however, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and Fusobacterium nucleatum were much more resistant. Macrocarpals inhibited P. gingivalis Arg- and Lys-specific proteinases in a dose-dependent manner. The enzyme-inhibitory effect of macrocarpals was confirmed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis in which hemoglobin degradation by P. gingivalis proteinase was inhibited by macrocarpals. P. gingivalis binding to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite beads was also strongly attenuated by macrocarpals. CONCLUSIONS: Macrocarpals A, B and C demonstrated antibacterial activity against periodontopathic bacteria. Among tested bacteria, P. gingivalis displayed the greatest sensitivity to macrocarpals; additionally, its trypsin-like proteinase activity and binding to saliva-coated hydroxyapatite beads were inhibited by macrocarpals. These results indicate that eucalyptus leaf extracts may be useful as a potent preventative of periodontal disease.

Specific antibodies to Porphyromonas gingivalis Lys-gingipain by DNA vaccination inhibit bacterial binding to hemoglobin and protect mice from infection.

Lys-gingipain (KGP), a lysine-specific cysteine proteinase, is one of the major virulence factors of Porphyromonas gingivalis. Here we examined the involvement of the catalytic domain of KGP (KGP(cd)) in hemoglobin binding by P. gingivalis, using a specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) elicited by the administration of plasmid DNA encoding KGP(cd) or the catalytic domain of Arg-gingipain (RGP(cd)). The pSeq2A/kgp(cd) and pSeq2B/rgp(cd) plasmids were constructed by the ligation of kgp(cd) and rgp(cd) DNA fragments, respectively. Female BALB/c mice were immunized with each of these plasmids. pSeq2A/kgp(cd) elicited a strong response to recombinant KGP(cd) (rKGP(cd)), as well as to comparably produced rRGP(cd)-reactive antibodies. The serum antibodies elicited by pSecTag2B/rgp(cd) also cross-reacted with rKGP(cd) as well as rRGP(cd). Anti-KGP(cd) IgG significantly inhibited hemoglobin binding by P. gingivalis. Furthermore, the inhibition of hemoglobin binding was markedly enhanced by a combination of anti-KGP(cd) and anti-fimbriae. Anti-RGP(cd) IgG showed a negligible inhibitory effect, while both anti-KGP(cd) and anti-RGP(cd) IgGs showed significant inhibitory effects on Lys- and Arg-specific proteolytic activities and on the growth of P. gingivalis under iron-restricted conditions where supplemented hemoglobin was the sole iron source. Immunized mice were challenged by intraperitoneal inoculation with P. gingivalis. All nonimmunized mice died within 72 h; however, vaccination with pSeq2A/kgp(cd) and pSeq2B/rgp(cd) prevented inflammatory responses and prolonged the survival rate of immunized mice by 43 and 27%, respectively. These results suggest that KGP(cd) acts as a hemoglobin-binding protein and can also be useful as an immunogen inducing a protective response to P. gingivalis infection.

The biochemistry of vitamin B6 is basic to the cause of the Chinese restaurant syndrome.

The concept of this basic research was that monosodium L-glutamate could reveal a deficiency of vitamin B6 by the neurological reactions known as the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome. An other amino acid, tryptophan, administered to subjects, is known to reveal a deficiency of vitamin B6 by the excretory xanthurenic acid, etc. The presence and degree of a deficiency of vitamin B6 in 155 students on no supplemental B6 was determined by the differential assay of aspartate transaminase of erythrocytes which also allows each subject to be a control. Twenty-seven of 155 students had extraordinarily low basal specific activities of the transaminase, less than 0.26 mumol pyruvate/(h X 10(8) erythrocytes). These 27 were challenged with glutamate and a placebo. Twelve of 27 revealed the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome, and 15 did not. By double blind trials, the 12 "responders" were treated with pyridoxine and a placebo for twelve weeks, and then were rechallenged with glutamate and a placebo. Decoding showed 3 of 12 received placebo to pyridoxine and then revealed the symptoms of the syndrome again to glutamate; 9 of 12 received pyridoxine and then 8 of 9 failed to respond to glutamate. These results show, p less than 0.01, that the symptoms of the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome to oral glutamate fail to reoccur after treatment which pyridoxine, and that the biochemistry of vitamin B6 is basic to the cause of the Chinese Restaurant Syndrome.

Bioenergetics in clinical medicine. XVI. Reduction of hypertension in patients by therapy with coenzyme Q10.

Six untreated hypertensive patients and ten on therapy, but having elevated blood pressures, were treated with coenzyme Q10(CoQ10); 14/16 patients showed reductions (p less than 0.05-less than 0.001) in systolic pressures; 11/16 showed reductions (p less than 0.05-less than 0.001) in diastolic pressure; 9/10 showed reductions of elevated pressures to a normal range. By impedance cardiography and electrocardiography, there were no changes in cardiac outputs, stroke volumes and Heather Indices except for a few patients with changes of doubtful biological significance. 3/16 patients had exceptionally low basal specific activities of the succinate dehydrogenase-coenzyme Q10 reductase in blood which increased to a normal range on treatment. A greater deficiency of CoQ10 in the vascular system than in blood is likely. We consider that (1) the mechanism of reduction of elevated blood pressures by CoQ10 is based upon normalization or autoregulation of peripheral resistance rather than cardiac regulation, and (2) that the therapeutic activity of CoQ10 is not pharmacodynamic, but results from a translational increase in levels of CoQ10-enzymes in vascular tissue during ca. 4-12 weeks.