2). Furthermore, STAT1 activation was also not detected in α-defensin-1-treated HGECs (Supporting Information Fig. 3). This observation is in line with previous study which showed that α-defensin-1 did not induce STAT1 activation in HeLa-CD4 cells [[40]]. The α-defensin-1-induced MxA expression was not specific to HGECs since this effect was also observed

in normal human bronchial epithelial cells PLX-4720 mouse and primary human microvascular endothelial cells. These findings are supported by recent observations showing that human α-defensin-1 induced homologue MxA in fish cell line [[31]]. Our results may also explain the previous observation which demonstrated that MxA can be induced in lipopolysaccharide

(LPS) stimulated PMNs independent of type I IFN [[41]]. It is possible that click here LPS stimulated PMNs to release α-defensins, resulting in MxA expression. MxA is a protein with broad antiviral activity; it blocks viral replication at an early stage [[42]]. We demonstrated that MxA expressed in α-defensin-treated HGECs inhibited avian influenza H5N1 viral replication. After silencing the MxA gene, HGECs treated with α-defensin-1 robustly downregulated MxA function, allowing viral replication and cell death to occur. It is tempting to speculate that MxA expression in periodontal tissue may have a role in antiviral defense during the consumption of H5N1-infected poultry meat; however, further research is required. It should Tenofovir be noted that α-defensins are known to directly inactivate viruses and inhibit their entry [[43]]. Our results provide additional antiviral pathway by which α-defensins modulate host cells to express MxA protein and inhibit viral replication. PMNs are a major source of α-defensins. Our in vitro data demonstrated that when neutralizing antibody against α-defensins was added to the PMN supernatant-treated HGEC culture, the MxA-inducing activity was diminished. Therefore, α-defensins

released from PMNs are likely to be responsible for the observed MxA expression in periodontal tissue. The intense MxA staining observed in the gingival sulcus area may be related to the pathway of a constant migration of PMNs from subepithelial connective tissue vessels through junctional epithelium and into this area [[44]]. This dynamic sequence suggests a crosstalk between resident nonimmune cells, the epithelium, and professional phagocytic cells, PMNs, all of which are essential for local innate immune activation. It is interesting to note that MxA expression was lower in diseased periodontal tissue which commonly has more infiltrated PMNs as compared with healthy periodontal tissue.