Effect of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans Leukotoxin on ATP Release through Pannexin Channels in Human Monocytes

Sammanfattning: Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is strongly associated with aggressive periodontitis and one of several virulence factors is a leukotoxin (LtxA). The toxin has a consequential impact on human leukocytes which leads to an interference with the host ́s defences due to a chain reaction involving activation and release of a pro-inflammatory cytokine; interleukin-1β (IL-1β). As an early phase in this reaction chain the toxin stimulates a massive release of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from human leukocytes. We hypothesize that leukotoxin-induced pro- inflammatory cell death is initiated by ATP release through pannexin channels in the human monocyte cell membrane. The aim of this study was to investigate if blocking of pannexin channels with carbenoxolone (Cbx) results in a reduction of ATP release. A human monocyte cell line (THP-1 cells) was exposed to purified LtxA, Cbx and oxidized ATP. Colorimetric ATP kit was used to evaluate levels of ATP release and thereafter the samples were read in a spectrophotometer. This study confirms that LtxA induces an ATP release from THP-1 cells. Our conclusion is that blocking of pannexin channels does not result in a statistically significant reduction in ATP release, which indicates that ATP is released by one or several other undetected pathways.