ABSTRACT
Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) and other pathogens. P. gingivalis release various virulence factors including lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, whether P. gingivalis-LPS inducing pyroptosis in human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) remains unknown. In present study, P. gingivalis-LPS decreased the membrane integrity of HGFs, and pyroptosis-associated cytokines were upregulated at the mRNA level. In addition, pyroptosis proteins were highly expressed in gingival tissues of periodontitis. P. gingivalis-LPS induced gingivitis in the rat model, and the expression level of pyroptosis-associated proteins increased. Together, P. gingivalis-LPS can activate the pyroptosis reaction, which may be a pro-pyroptosis status in a relative low concentration.