EFFECTS OF PROLINE-RICH PEPTIDES ON THE FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY OF HUMAN LEUKOCYTES IN VITRO

The effects of peptides with a high content of proline (Proline-Rich Peptides, PRPs) of human saliva (fragments of Basic salivary proline-rich protein 1 – P-H (37–51), P-F (43–61), IB6 (98–116), p1932), as well as of several animal’s neutrophilic PRPs (bactenecins ChBac3.4, ChBac5, mini-ChBac7.5Na), towards cells involved in the functioning of the immune system have been explored. In the presence of each of the investigated PRPs the intensity of the respiratory burst of human blood phagocytes in vitro, challenged by Escherichia coli, was reduced (the effect was more pronounced in the case of salivary PRPs). Administration of ChBac3.4, mini-ChBac7.5Nα, р1932 to human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, stimulated with lipopolysaccharide, caused a decrease of LPS-mediated release of cytokines IL1β, TNFα, without affecting a level of IL10 (for other PRPs the effects were not significant). Thus, the results confirm the anti-inflammatory action of PRPs and point to the suggestion that cationic prolinerich proteins and peptides of saliva may be involved in regulation of inflammation in the oral cavity.

proline-rich peptides, saliva, anti-inflammatory activity, respiratory burst