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Updated: Jan 3, 2026
Isolation, Characterization and Functional Examination of the Gingival Immune Cell Network
Published on: February 16, 2016
N-WASP knockdown upregulates inflammatory cytokines expression in human gingival fibroblasts
Yijia Wang1, Wenyan Kang1, Lingling Shang1
1Department of Periodontology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Shandong University & Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration & Shandong Engineering Laboratory for Dental Materials and Oral Tissue Regeneration, No.44-1 Wenhua Road West, 250012, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Objective:
The neuronal wiskott-aldrich syndrome protein (N-WASP) is a member of the wiskott-aldrich syndrome protein (WASP) family. N-WASP plays a vital role in promoting cell migration, receptor signaling and immune inflammatory responses. This study aimed to observe the changes in the expression of inflammatory factors and involving pathways after N-WASP knockdown in human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs).
Design:
Gingival inflammatory condition of N-WASP knockout mice was evaluated by H&E staining. N-WASP in HGFs was knockdown by siRNA and the best knockdown efficiency was determined by qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence. The mRNA levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, C-C motif ligand 2 (CCL2), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) and prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) were evaluated by qRT-PCR after N-WASP knockdown with or without mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) inhibitors. The protein levels of IL-6, IL-8 and CCL2 were assessed by ELISA. Western blotting was used to detect the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.
Results:
Gingival tissue from N-WASP knockout mice exhibited an inflammatory reaction. The expression of IL-6, IL-8, CCL2, SOD2 and PTGS2 was significantly upregulated after N-WASP knockdown in HGFs for 6, 24 and 48 h, except for the SOD2 at 6 h. N-WASP knockdown significantly activated the signaling pathways of NF-κB and MAPK. The inhibitors of p65, p38, ERK and JNK clearly decreased IL-6, IL-8, CCL2, SOD2 and PTGS2 expression after N-WASP knockdown.
Conclusion:
These data indicated that N-WASP deficiency in HGFs increases the production of inflammatory cytokine and is regulated via NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways.
