title: Vascular endothelial growth factor and its relationship with the dental pulp.
abstract: The dental pulp is a loose connective tissue located within rigid dentinal walls. Therefore, when subjected to a stimulus, the pulpal tissue has little expansion capacity. The defense mechanisms of this tissue include the formation of tertiary dentin as well as the production of signaling molecules that help in the repair. The dentin matrix is rich in growth factors (GFs) that, when diluted and diffused into the pulp tissue, aid the healing process of the dentinopulpar complex. The angiogenic GFs participate in this event. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a potent mitogen for endothelial cells, promotes endothelial cell survival and angiogenesis. Among its receptors, VEGFR-2 seems to be the most intimately associated with mitogenic activities, cell migration, vascular permeability, and survival of endothelial cells. This literature review addresses the cell-signaling process that occurs in response to a pulp stimulus up to its transduction in the target cell, describing the VEGF, as well as its characteristics and receptors. The reported studies have correlated the expression of VEGF and its potential functions that may have an impact on several dental specialties, thus indicating that further clinical investigations should be conducted in order to translate the results obtained until this moment primarily in laboratory experiments.
authors: School of Dentistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. lmattuella@gmail.com
authors: Leticia
authors: L
authors: Grando Mattuella
authors: Leticia
authors: L
authors: Westphalen Bento
authors: José Antonio Poli
authors: JA
authors: de Figueiredo
authors: Jacques Eduardo
authors: JE
authors: Nör
authors: Fernando Borba
authors: FB
authors: de Araujo
authors: Anna Christina Medeiros
authors: AC
authors: Fossati
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000098:blood supply / Q000293:injuries / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor