Mahanonda and colleagues reported that HGFs express functional TLR 2, 3, 4 and 5, and that ligand binding to these receptors lead to the secretion of CXCL8 [12]. Uehara et al. demonstrated that HGFs express TLR 1–9, and that stimulation of TLR 2/6, 3, 4, 7/8 and 9 caused production of several inflammatory mediators [13]. However, increasing data suggest that fibroblasts are heterogeneous. Fibroblasts from different anatomic sites, and even subpopulations of fibroblasts from the same site, display distinct differences in morphology, extracellular matrix production, migratory phenotype and cell surface antigens [14]. Recently, our group showed that P. gingivalis

target T cell derived interleukin (IL) 2 at the protein level and suppresses activator protein 1, a mechanism by which P. gingivalis benefits its own establishment by altering adaptive immune responses [15]. The aim of the selleck screening library present study is to characterize the effects of P. gingivalis on primary human fibroblasts and their derived inflammatory responses, with the hypothesis that initial establishment of P. gingivalis infection modulates immunoregulatory mechanisms of fibroblasts. Methods Isolation and culture of fibroblasts Primary human skin fibroblasts were isolated by explanting pieces of dermis obtained from elective abdominal or chest surgery from three young donors. The tissue was removed using standard surgical

procedures. Approval from the local Ethical Committee at Örebro County Council, Sweden, (no. 2003/0101), and informed consent was BMN 673 solubility dmso obtained from each patient. Fibroblasts were propagated from dermal preparations pieces by the explant technique. In brief, small pieces (half-millimeter) of dermis were allowed to adhere to culture plastic for a few minutes followed by addition

of culture medium (Dulbecco’s modified Eagle medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1 mg/ml gentamicin (all from Invitrogen Ltd, Paisley, UK). Gingival fibroblasts (HGF-1, ATCC CRL-2014) were purchased from the American Type 5-Fluoracil Collection (Manassas, VA, USA). The fibroblasts were cultured to confluence and removed from culture plastic surface by incubation in 0.25% trypsin and 1 mM EDTA (Invitrogen Ltd, Paisley, UK) at 37°C for 5 minutes. The cells were plated in tissue culture flasks in DMEM with 10% FBS. Fibroblasts were used at passages 3–10. Preparation of P. gingivalis P. gingivalis ATCC 33277 (American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA) was cultured in fastidious anaerobe broth (29.7 g/liter, pH 7.2) under anaerobic conditions (80% N2, 10% CO2, and 10% H2) at 37°C in an anaerobic chamber (Concept 400 Anaerobic Workstation; Ruskinn Technology Ltd., Leeds, United Kingdom). The bacteria were harvested by centrifugation, washed and resuspended in Krebs-Ringer glucose buffer (KRG) (120 mM NaCl, 4.9 mM KCl, 1.2 mM MgSO4, 1.7 mM KH2PO4, 8.3 mM Na2HPO4, and 10 mM glucose, pH 7.3). Heat-killed P.