Fig. 4.

hDFSCs primed by P. gingivalis prolong the viability of neutrophils. Analysis of neutrophil viability after co-culture with primed stem cells or in bacterial DMEM supernatant. hDFSCs were co-cultivated with P. gingivalis W83 (Pg) over 24 h under anaerobic conditions, and unprimed hDFSCs and bacteria only were used as a control. After sterile filtration of supernatants and antibiotic treatment, neutrophils were co-cultivated with primed hDFSCs for another 24 h in anaerobic conditions. The apoptosis of neutrophils was analyzed via Annexin V/7-AAD staining and flow cytometry analysis. The percentage of viable cells without signs of apoptosis or necrosis is plotted in the diagram. The results are displayed as the median; *** p < 0.001 was considered significant (ANOVA). Significance of unprimed stem cell control to the co-culture condition: ^## p < 0.01, n ≥ 4 in all experiments (each data point represents 1 independent biological replicate).