Peripheral sensory neurons survive in the absence of α- and γ-synucleins

Physiological functions of α-synuclein, a protein implicated in certain types of neurodegeneration, and two other members of the same family, β-synuclein and γ-synuclein, are not clearly understood. It has been suggested that synucleins are involved in intracellular processes associated with survival of neurons and their response to stress, and that changes of synuclein ratio might have deteriorating effects on neurons. In wild-type mice, sensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system express α-synuclein and notably high levels of γ-synuclein, but targeted inactivation of either of these genes has no effect on these neurons. Here we produced double, α-synuclein/γ-synuclein null mutant mice, which develop normally, are fertile, and show no obvious signs of pathology in adulthood. Survival of α/γ-synuclein-deficient peripheral sensory neurons in vivo and in primary tissue culture is indistinguishable from survival of wild-type neurons. The absence of two synucleins does not lead to expression in sensory neurons of the third member of the family, β-synuclein. Therefore, our results demonstrate that neurons with normally high levels of synuclein(s) can develop and survive normally in the absence of any of these proteins. This suggests that other intraneuronal mechanisms and pathways effectively compensate the loss of synuclein function in null mutant animals. Copyright © 2005 Humana Press Inc. All rights of any nature whatsoever reserved

“Shielding” of Cytokine Induction by the Periodontal Microbiome in Patients with Periodontitis Associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Periodontal diseases, especially those with polymicrobial etiology, are often associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, proceeding more severely and affecting the course of diabetes mellitus. Recently, this feature has been associated with the ability of periodontopathogen microflora to cause not only a local infectious process in the oral cavity, but also to interact with the human immune system and induce various systemic effects. We investigated changes in the salivary cytokine profile of patients with chronic periodontitis, associated and not associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We observed a statistically significant decrease of MCP-1/CCL2, GM-CSF, IL-5, IL-6, and IFN-γ in the saliva of patients with chronic periodontitis associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in comparison with patients with chronic periodontitis only. All of these cytokines are associated with macrophage activation. These data are an important contribution to the elucidation of the mechanism of periodontopathogens involvement in the manifestation of the systemic effects of type 2 diabetes

"Shielding" of Cytokine Induction by the Periodontal Microbiome in Patients with Periodontitis Associated with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Periodontal diseases, especially those with polymicrobial etiology, are often associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, proceeding more severely and affecting the course of diabetes mellitus. Recently, this feature has been associated with the ability of periodontopathogen microflora to cause not only a local infectious process in the oral cavity, but also to interact with the human immune system and induce various systemic effects. We investigated changes in the salivary cytokine profile of patients with chronic periodontitis, associated and not associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We observed a statistically significant decrease of MCP-1/CCL2, GMCSF, IL-5, IL-6, and IFN-gamma in the saliva of patients with chronic periodontitis associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in comparison with patients with chronic periodontitis only. All of these cytokines are associated with macrophage activation. These data are an important contribution to the elucidation of the mechanism of periodontopathogens involvement in the manifestation of the systemic effects of type 2 diabetes