title: Follicle-stimulating hormone enhances alveolar bone resorption via upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2.
abstract: This study aimed to investigate whether follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)-induced alveolar bone resorption was mediated by a cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) enzyme related mechanism. Experimental periodontitis was induced in bilateral ovariectomized (OVX) rats, some of which were injected with triptorelin, an FSH inhibitor. After mandibles were collected, we performed micro-computed tomography to evaluate alveolar bone loss and immunohistochemical staining to assess COX-2 expression. As well, human periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) were treated with FSH (30 ng/ml), and the COX-2 mRNA and protein expression levels were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blotting, respectively; prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results indicated that FSH significantly increased alveolar bone resorption and the expression of COX-2 in the bilateral OVX + Ligatured rats compared with the other treatment groups. FSH also increased the mRNA and protein expression of COX-2 and PGE2(P < 0.01) in human PDLCs. Further, the analysis of signaling pathways revealed the activation of COX-2-mediated pathways including Erk, p38, and Akt. These data suggest that FSH aggravates alveolar bone loss via a COX-2-upregulation mechanism and that the Erk, p38, and Akt pathways are involved in this pathological process.
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University Wuhan 430079, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Chunxia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University Wuhan 430079, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Yaoting
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University Wuhan 430079, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Shengbo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University Wuhan 430079, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Zhuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bian
keywords: Follicle-stimulating hormone; alveolar bone loss; cyclooxygenase 2; ovariectomy; periodontitis