Journal of Oral Tissue Engineering

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Quantitative Analysis of Dentin-related mRNA Expression in Human Dental Pulp Cells Stimulated by Amelogenin

Masanobu IZUMIKAWA, Keijiro HAYASHI, Mohammad Ali Akbor POLAN, Jia TANG and Takashi SAITO
Division of Clinical Cariology and Endodontology, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, School of Dentistry,
Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Hokkaido, Japan


J Oral Tissue Engin 2011;9(1): 10-16

SYNOPSIS
A biocompatible, bioactive agent that rapidly induces reparative dentin formation is required to improve the clinical success of vital pulp therapy. Recently, enamel matrix derivative (EMD) has been evaluated as having high potential as a pulp-capping material in vivo. The objective of the present study was to investigate mRNA expression of dentin-related protein in human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) stimulated by amelogenin, the major constituent of EMD, using quantitative real-time RT-PCR in vitro.
As our results, the expressions of BMP-4 and osteopontin mRNA were enhanced in hDPCs by addition of 50 ng/mL amelogenin for 24 hours. Furthermore, the expression of DMP-1 mRNA, which is a specific marker of dentin, was promoted intensively by addition of 10 ng/mL and 50 ng/mL amelogenin for 24 hours, while hDPCs did not express DMP-1 mRNA without amelogenin.
Despite the limitations of our experimental system in the present study, our findings indicate that amelogenin stimulates the differentiation of hDPCs into odontoblastic cells in vitro. Moreover, it is essential to elucidate the function and mechanism of action of amelogenin in dental pulp cells.

Key words:amelogenin, dental pulp cells, differentiation