Porphyromonas gingivalis infection-associated periodontal bone resorption is dependent on receptor activator of NF-κB ligand

Porphyromonas gingivalis is one of the oral microorganisms associated with human chronic periodontitis. The purpose of this study is to determine the role of the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) in P. gingivalis infection-associated periodontal bone resorption. Inbred female Rowett rats were infected orally on four consecutive days (days 0 to 3) with 1×10⁹ P. gingivalis bacteria (strain ATCC 33277). Separate groups of rats also received an injection of anti-RANKL antibody, osteoprotegerin fusion protein (OPG-Fc), or a control fusion protein (L6-Fc) into gingival papillae in addition to P. gingivalis infection. Robust serum IgG and salivary IgA antibody (P<0.01) and T cell proliferation (P<0.05) responses to P. gingivalis were detected at day 7 and peaked at day 28 in P. gingivalis-infected rats. Both the concentration of soluble RANKL (sRANKL) in rat gingival tissues (P<0.01) and periodontal bone resorption (P<0.05) were significantly elevated at day 28 in the P. gingivalisinfected group compared to levels in the uninfected group. Correspondingly, RANKL-expressing T and B cells in rat gingival tissues were significantly increased at day 28 in the P. gingivalis-infected group compared to the levels in the uninfected group (P<0.01). Injection of anti-RANKL antibody (P<0.05) or OPG-Fc (P<0.01), but not L6-Fc, into rat gingival papillae after P. gingivalis infection resulted in significantly reduced periodontal bone resorption. This study suggests that P. gingivalis infection- associated periodontal bone resorption is RANKL dependent and is accompanied by increased local infiltration of RANKLexpressing T and B cells.