Virulence Factor of Porphyromonas gingivalis Disrupts Intestinal Oxidative Status and Acetylcholinesterase Activity in Rotenone-Exposed Zebrafish

Objective: Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is a major pathogenic bacterium in periodontal disease and is associated with neurodegenerative diseases. One of the most destructive endotoxins of P. gingivalis is gingipain. Our objective was to show the impact of gingipain on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and oxidative status in the intestinal tissues of zebrafish exposed to rotenone.Materials and Methods: Zebrafish were grouped as; control group (C), gingipain-injected group (G), rotenone-exposed group (R), gingipain-injected and rotenone-exposed group (G+R) (n=15). At the end of 4 weeks, spectrophotometric analyses were performed to evaluate the oxidative status and AChE activity in the intestinal tissues.Results: Intestinal lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels were higher in the G group than in the C group. Gingipain injection significantly reduced the activities of AChE and superoxide dismutase (SOD). In the R group, there were significant elevations in SOD, nitric oxide (NO), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and AChE activities compared with those in the C group. In the G+R group, LPO, NO, SOD, and GST activities were reduced compared with the R group.Conclusion: Our results show that gingipain dysregulated AChE activity and the oxidant-antioxidant balance in rotenone-exposed zebrafish, demonstrating its possible role in gut dysbiosis, neuroinflammation, and Parkinson’s disease.