title: Angiotensin-II increases cytoplasmic calcium, cell number and total DNA for human periodontal ligamental cells in vitro.
abstract: The identification and the development of potential growth factors for the cells of the periodontal ligament is an important and novel stratagem for the regeneration of tissue destroyed by periodontal pathogens. The problem is that growth factors are difficult to synthesize, very immunogenic and expensive. The purpose of our study was to determine if angiotensin-II, a naturally occurring octo-peptide with growth-factor like properties in cardiac muscle, could also stimulate cultured human periodontal ligament cells. If angiotensin-II does have growth factor properties, then it should be able to increase cytoplasmic calcium (a secondary messenger associated with mitogenesis) and to increase fibroblast proliferation. Fura-2 fluorescence and aequorin photometry were used to follow changes in cytoplasmic calcium. Cytometry and total amount of DNA were used to measure proliferation evoked by angiotensin-II. We found that angiotensin-II increased cytoplasmic calcium, the total amount of DNA and cell number, suggesting that angiotensin-II has mitogenic properties for cells isolated from human periodontal ligament.
authors.affiliation: University of the Pacific, Department of Periodontics, San Francisco, CA 94115, USA. wlunderg@uop.edu
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Lundergan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferry
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Snowdowne
mesh_terms: D000331:Aequorin; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002452:Cell Count / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000187:drug effects*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D016257:Fura-2; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008934:Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010513:Periodontal Ligament / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010783:Photometry; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D006133:Growth Substances; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008934:Mitogens; D000804:Angiotensin II; D000331:Aequorin; D004247:DNA; D002118:Calcium; D016257:Fura-2