ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Oral Microbes and Host
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1597604
This article is part of the Research TopicDental diseases: In the spotlight of oral microbiome and host immune defenses - New approaches for Oral Health and Oral CareView all 7 articles
The Inhibitory Effects of 7ND Protein on Osteoclast Differentiation in Apical Periodontitis
Provisionally accepted
- 1The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, hefei, China
- 2Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Hefei Stomatological Hospital, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
- 3Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Background: Apical periodontitis (AP) is a highly prevalent inflammatory condition that affects the tissue surrounding the apex of a tooth root. 7ND protein, a mutant form of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), functions as a dominant negative inhibitor of MCP-1. Previous studies have shown that 7ND protein can suppress osteoclast differentiation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, suggesting its potential to prevent inflammatory bone destruction. However, whether 7ND protein can inhibit AP-induced osteolysis remains unknown.To investigate the effects of 7ND protein on osteoclast differentiation, we utilized RAW264.7 macrophage cells and an AP rat model. Western blotting analysis was employed to assess MCP-1 expression in RAW264.7 cells treated with 7ND protein.The impact of 7ND protein on osteoclast formation was evaluated both in vitro (using RAW264.7 cells) and in vivo (in AP rats). Additionally, X-ray imaging and microcomputed tomography were used to compare the lesion volume and area in the periapical regions of AP rats treated with 7ND protein versus those treated with PBS.Results: Western blotting analysis revealed that 7ND protein reduced MCP-1 expression in RAW264.7 macrophage cells without affecting their proliferation. Furthermore, 7ND protein significantly inhibited osteoclast formation in both RAW264.7 cells and AP rats. In AP rats treated with 7ND protein, X-ray imaging and micro-computed tomography demonstrated a significant decrease in lesion volume and area in the periapical regions compared to AP rats treated with PBS.Our study demonstrates that 7ND protein has the potential to inhibit osteoclast differentiation and reduce bone loss associated with apical periodontitis. These findings suggest that 7ND protein may serve as a valuable therapeutic option for the treatment of AP-related osteolysis.
Keywords: Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, 7ND, Osteoclasts, apical periodontitis, Osteolysis
Received: 21 Mar 2025; Accepted: 13 Jun 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ji, Xu, Lu, Zhang, Zhang, Zou and Xu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Qi Xu, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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