Prostaglandin E2 receptors of the EP2 and EP4 subtypes downregulate tumor necrosis factor α‐induced intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 expression in human gingival fibroblasts

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) exerts its biological actions via EP receptors, which are divided into 4 subtypes of EP1, EP2, EP3 and EP4. In the present study, we investigated whether PGE2 regulated intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) stimulated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) and if so, which subtype(s) of PGE2 receptors was involved. Exogenous addition of PGE2 to HGF inhibited ICAM-1 expression elicited by TNF alpha in a concentration-dependent manner. Treatment of HGF with indomethacin, a cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor, had no effect on TNF alpha-elicited ICAM-1 expression, although indomethacin completely inhibited PGE2 production enhanced by TNF alpha. Next, we examined which subtype(s) of the 4 EP receptors modulated the ICAM-1 expression elicited by TNF alpha, using subtype-specific agonists and antagonists. 11-deoxy-PGE1, a selective EP2/EP4 agonist, inhibited TNF alpha-elicited ICAM-1 expression as potently as PGE2, while butaprost, a selective EP2 agonist, was somewhat less effective than PGE2. AH23848B, an EP4 antagonist, antagonized the inhibitory effect of TNF alpha-elicited ICAM-1 expression by PGE2. Sulprostone, an EP1/EP3 agonist, and ONO-AP-324, an EP3 agonist, were inert to TNF alpha-elicited ICAM-1 expression. As EP2 and EP4 receptors are linked to elevation of intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP), the effect of dibutyryl cAMP and 8-bromo-cAMP, cAMP analogs, on TNF alpha-elicited ICAM-1 expression was examined. Both the agents downregulated ICAM-1 expression in TNF alpha-stimulated HGF. From these data, we suggest that PGE2 downregulates TNF alpha-induced ICAM-1 expression in HGF, via EP2 and EP4 receptors by cAMP-dependent signaling pathways, which may result in control of inflammatory and immunological responses in periodontal disease.