[Study on enzymatically released human dental pulp cells with collagenase I in vitro].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the alkaline phosphatase activity of enzymatically released human dental pulp cells with collagenase I in vitro.


METHODS
We cultivated human dental pulp cells from connective tissue explants digested with collagenase I. Immunocytochemical staining was performed for characterization. When the subcultured cells grew in multilayers, the activity of alkaline phosphatase was examined by enzyme histochemical staining,and the ability of mineralization was detected.


RESULTS
Cultures of human primary dental pulp cells became confluent after 15-20 days. Subcultured cells proliferated to multilayers in long-term cultures, and the staining of alkaline phosphatase was noted to be regional on culture slides. The pulp cells cultured in the presence of beta-glycerophosphate and L-ascorbic acid formed mineralization nodules.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that human dental pulp cells can be cultivated preferably from tissue explants digested with collagenase I in vitro. Enzyme histochemistry is useful for studying the biological behavior of dental pulp cells.
Wang
Feng-Ming
FM
Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering Ministry of Education, West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Hu
Tao
T
Zhou
Xue-Dong
XD
D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017364:Collagenases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003470:Culture Media; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology*; D005994:Glycerophosphates / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans
D003470:Culture Media; D005994:Glycerophosphates; D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D017364:Collagenases; C417249:collagenase 1; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; C031463:beta-glycerophosphoric acid