BMAL1-Downregulation Aggravates <i>Porphyromonas Gingivalis</i>-Induced Atherosclerosis by Encouraging Oxidative Stress.

Abstract

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases are considered as chronic inflammation processes. In addition to risk factors associated with the cardiovascular system itself, pathogenic bacteria such as the periodontitis-associated <i>Porphyromonas gingivalis</i> (<i>P gingivalis</i>) are also closely correlated with the development of atherosclerosis, but the underlying mechanisms are still elusive. To elucidate the mechanisms of <i>P gingivalis</i>-accelerated atherosclerosis and explore novel therapeutic strategies of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. <i>Bmal1</i>^-/- (brain and muscle Arnt-like protein 1) mice, <i>ApoE</i>^-/- mice, <i>Bmal1</i>^-/-<i>ApoE</i>^-/- mice, conditional endothelial cell <i>Bmal1</i> knockout mice (<i>Bmal1</i>^fl/fl; <i>Tek</i>-Cre mice), and the corresponding jet-legged mouse model were used. <i>P</i><i>gingivalis</i> accelerates atherosclerosis progression by triggering arterial oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in <i>ApoE</i>^-/- mice, accompanied by the perturbed circadian clock. Circadian clock disruption boosts <i>P gingivalis</i>-induced atherosclerosis progression. The mechanistic dissection shows that <i>P gingivalis</i> infection activates the TLRs-NF-κB signaling axis, which subsequently recruits DNMT-1 to methylate the <i>BMAL1</i> promoter and thus suppresses <i>BMAL1</i> transcription. The downregulation of BMAL1 releases CLOCK, which phosphorylates p65 and further enhances NF-κB signaling, elevating oxidative stress and inflammatory response in human aortic endothelial cells. Besides, the mouse model exhibits that joint administration of metronidazole and melatonin serves as an effective strategy for treating atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. <i>P gingivalis</i> accelerates atherosclerosis via the NF-κB-BMAL1-NF-κB signaling loop. Melatonin and metronidazole are promising auxiliary medications toward atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases.