RESUMO
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a ligand for cell surface toll-like receptors (TLR), TLR2 and TLR4 while stimulation of either leads to cardioprotection. We hypothesized that: (1) pretreatment with P. gingivalis LPS at appropriate concentrations would induce cardioprotection against injury induced by ischemia and reperfusion; and (2) P. gingivalis LPS pretreatment at cardioprotective concentrations may reduce Ca(2+) overload, which is a precipitating cause of injury, and improve recovery of contractile function. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly selected to receive intraperitoneal saline or hot phenol-water-extracted P. gingivalis LPS at 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 or 4.0 mg/kg 24 h before the experiment. The hearts were isolated and subjected to regional ischemia by coronary artery ligation followed by reperfusion. In isolated rat ventricular myocytes, the cytosolic Ca(2+) level and the electrically induced intracellular calcium (E[Ca(2+)](i)) transient, which reflects contractile function, were determined after pretreatment with a cardioprotective dose of P. gingivalis LPS. RESULTS: Pretreatment with 0.5 mg/kg P. gingivalis LPS significantly reduced, while pretreatment with 1.0-4.0 mg/kg significantly increased infarct size. The Ca(2+) overload induced by ischemia-reperfusion was attenuated in myocytes from rats pretreated with 0.5 mg/kg P. gingivalis LPS. Pretreated myocytes also showed an increased amplitude of the E[Ca(2+)](i) transient, no prolongation of the time to reach the peak E[Ca(2+)](i) transient and shorter 50% decay time during reperfusion. CONCLUSION: At a dosage of 0.5 mg/kg, P. gingivalis LPS confers cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion-induced injury and improved intracellular E[Ca(2+)](i) transient recovery, hence improving myocyte contractile recovery.