Journal
JOURNAL OF ENDODONTICS
Volume 42, Issue 1, Pages 95-100Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
DOI: 10.1016/j.joen.2015.08.024
Keywords
Human dental pulp cell; Nel-like molecule-1; odontoblastic differentiation; pulp-dentin complex
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Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [30901673]
- Medical Health and Development Research Foundation of Shandong Province [2013WS0214]
- Science and Technology Development Project of Jinan City [201121042]
- Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation, China [ZR2014HQ075]
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Introduction: Nel-like molecule-1 (Nell-1) with epidermal cell growth factor like coding structures is a recently discovered secreted protein that can specifically induce osteoblast differentiation, bone formation, and bone regeneration. The expression and localization of Nell-1 during murine molar development suggest that this protein participates in odontoblastic differentiation. This study aims to assess the expression of Nell-1 in the pulp-dentin complex of human teeth and determine the effect of human recombinant Nell-1 (hrNell-1) on odontoblastic differentiation of cultured human dental pulp cells. Methods: Immunohistochemical assay was performed to detect the expression and location of Nell-1 in healthy human teeth. The activity of alkaline phosphatase in human dental pulp cells stimulated by hrNell-1 was examined. Moreover, the expression of related odontoblastic markers was evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Results: Immunohistochemical results showed that Nell-1 was primarily expressed in the odontoblasts (odontoblastic bodies and processes), pulp fibroblasts, and endothelial cells of the blood vessels in human teeth. In vitro experiments showed that hrNell-1 could increase the activity of alkaline phosphatase and enhance the expression of important odontoblastic markers including osteopontin and dentin matrix protein 1 in cultured human dental pulp cells. Conclusions: Nell-1 plays a role in odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp cells and dentin formation.
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