Expression of silent information regulator 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) in periapical granulomas

Silent information regulator 2 homolog 1 (SIRT1) inhibits oxidative injury and has anti-inflammatory effects. SIRT1 may be involved in healing of periapical periodontitis; however, SIRTI expression in periapical periodontitis lesions has not been investigated. This study evaluated SIRTI expression and a marker of oxidative stress-8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG)-in periapical granulomas. First, we used real-time polymerise chain reaction to determine whether U-937 monocytes express SIRT1. U-937 cells treated with the SIRT1 activator resveratrol exhibited the highest SIRTI mRNA level after 6-h incubation. By contrast, treating cells with the SIRT1 inhibitor sirtinol returned SIRTI expression level to that of the control. In addition, immunocytochemical analysis using cytospin specimens showed that U-937 cells co-expressed SIRTI and Ki-67. Dual-color immunofluorescence imaging showed that round cells in periapical granulomas co-expressed SIRT1 and 8-OHdG; however, neither was expressed in healthy gingival tissues. The number of 8-OHdG-expressing cells was significantly greater than the number of SIRT-expressing cells. Our findings suggest that macrophages express SIRTI and that wound healing in periapical granulomas is enhanced by a SIRT1mediated reduction in the level of oxidative stress.