Mineralized nodule formation by cultures of human dental pulp-derived fibroblasts.
Pulp fibroblasts were isolated from human deciduous and supernumerary teeth and cultured in vitro. With continued culture in normal tissue-culture medium, six pulp fibroblast strains formed cell nodules after 10-15 days. By electron microscopy the nodules had matrix vesicles, and needle-shaped crystals associated with a dense network of collagen fibrils. The crystalline material exhibited a pattern consistent with hydroxyapatite when nodules were examined by X-ray diffractometry. Furthermore, the cells showed high levels of alkaline phosphatase activity, which could be increased more than seven-fold by the addition of 1,25(OH)2D3 (5 x 10(-9)-5 x 10(-8) M). In addition to the production of type I collagen, these cells also synthesized fibronectin and osteonectin. The formation of mineralized tissue nodules by pulp cells in vitro provides a useful system for study of the pathological calcification of pulp tissues.
Tsukamoto
Y
Y
Department of Pharmacology, Osaka Dental University, Japan.
Fukutani
S
S
Shin-Ike
T
T
Kubota
T
T
Sato
S
S
Suzuki
Y
Y
Mori
M
M
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002762:Cholecalciferol / Q000494:pharmacology; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003784:Dental Pulp Calcification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003809:Dentin, Secondary; D017886:Durapatite; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D006882:Hydroxyapatites / Q000378:metabolism; D015676:Osteonectin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous; D014096:Tooth, Supernumerary; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D005353:Fibronectins; D006882:Hydroxyapatites; D015676:Osteonectin; D002762:Cholecalciferol; D003094:Collagen; D017886:Durapatite; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase