Dietary effects to the local immune response and the initiation and propagation of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in mice

Summary

Background: Longitudinal studies have demonstrated a two-¬way relationship between diabetes and the local inflammatory host response, e.g. periodontitis, with more severe periodontal tissue destruction in diabetic patients and poorer glycemic control in diabetic subjects with periodontal disease. The same association has been described for cardiovascular and periodontal disease. A direct causal relationship is postulated in which advanced glycosylation end products or serum amyloid A increase local and systemic inflammatory phenotypes. Currently, it is unknown how the metabolic status affects local and systemic immune responses and how they are affected by different genetic backgrounds, or diverse microbial communities. Aim: The proposed research project will test the hypotheses that (A) the local immune response in animals largely depends on the genotype irrespectively of the diet and (B) establishing the gut and oral microbiome of high-inflammatory responders into low-inflammatory responders dramatically change the systemic and local immune response. Methods: WP 1: Mice strains with genetically different backgrounds will be used. They will be fed either a high- or low- fat diet for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks ligatures will be placed around the 2nd molars. The oral pathogen P. gingivalis will be applied by oral gavage over a period of 4 weeks. Blood will be collected at different time points to follow systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and concentrations of AGE, CRP SAA and IL-6. Mice will be scarified after 8 weeks and the severity of the local immune response will be characterised by the amount of bone loss, bone density and detection of inflammatory mediators. WP 2: Those strains with the lowest and largest local immune response will be used for this work package. Mice will be fed either a high- or low- fat diet for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks bacteria will be eradiated from the animals by antibiotic treatment and the oral and gut microbiomes will be exchanged as described elsewhere. Ligatures will be placed around the 2nd molars and the procedures will be equal to WP1.

Supervisor(s)

Professor Joerg Eberhard

Research Location

Sydney Dental School

Program Type

PHD

Synopsis

To evaluate the interplay between diet, genotype and microbiome in metabolic diseases and inflammatory host response.

Additional Information

These studies will contribute to the understanding how diet, genotype and microbiome interact in local and systemic inflammatory diseases. This understanding will enable preventive actions aimed to reduce adverse effects of metabolic diseases.

Keywords

Animal experiments, inflammation, diet, host response, periodontitis, microbiome

Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is: 2087

Other opportunities with Professor Joerg Eberhard

• Nutritional effects for oral health: Microbiome, caries experience and periodontal health
• Frequency and severity of periodontal disease in Australians with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: Building representative epidemiological data and validation of a screening tool for non-dental personnel.
• Oral health care and diabetes – assessing the 45 and up study with oral health data from PBS/MBS and hospital admission data
• Oral Health in General Practice; an analysis of how the game is played.
• Maternal Oral Health and Pregnancy Outcomes
• Unravelling the link between Diet, Obesity and Dental Caries for targeted prevention of global burdens
• Harmful or beneficial aspects of oral facial tissue and environment to the cardiac regeneration: Periodontitis may worsen the outcome of cardiac function after injury whilst the orofacial stem cells may augment their regenerative capacity.