Vitamin D3 analog maxacalcitol (OCT) induces hCAP-18/LL-37 production in human oral epithelial cells

Biomed Res. 2016;37(3):199-205. doi: 10.2220/biomedres.37.199.

Abstract

Maxacalcitol (22-oxacalcitriol: OCT) is a synthetic vitamin D3 analog with a limited calcemic effect. In this study, we investigated whether OCT increases the production of LL-37/CAP-18, a human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, in human gingival/oral epithelial cells. A human gingival epithelial cell line (Ca9-22) and human oral epithelial cell lines (HSC-2, HSC-3, and HSC-4) exhibited the enhanced expression of LL-37 mRNA upon stimulation with OCT as well as active metabolites of vitamins D3 and D2. Among the human epithelial cell lines, Ca9-22 exhibited the strongest response to these vitamin D-related compounds. OCT induced the higher production of CAP-18 (ng/mL order) until 6 days time-dependently in Ca9-22 cells in culture. The periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis was killed by treatment with the LL-37 peptide. These findings suggest that OCT induces the production of hCAP-18/LL-37 in a manner similar to that induced by the active metabolite of vitamin D3.

MeSH terms

  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / biosynthesis*
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / genetics
  • Calcitriol / analogs & derivatives*
  • Calcitriol / chemistry
  • Calcitriol / pharmacology
  • Cathelicidins
  • Cell Line
  • Epithelial Cells / drug effects*
  • Epithelial Cells / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression
  • Humans
  • Mouth Mucosa / metabolism*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism

Substances

  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Calcitriol
  • maxacalcitol
  • Cathelicidins