title: The expression and role of stromal cell-derived factor-1alpha-CXCR4 axis in human dental pulp.
abstract: Recent reports have suggested that the stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1alpha-CXCR4 axis has a direct effect on stem and progenitor cell recruitment in muscle and neural tissue repair after injury. No information is available about SDF-1alpha or CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) in dental tissues. The aim of this study was to assess the expression of SDF-1alpha and its receptor, CXCR4, in healthy or inflamed human dental pulp and to evaluate the effects of SDF-1alpha on dental pulp cells (DPCs) in both proliferation and migration in vitro. Immunohistochemical staining and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction detected weak expression of SDF-1alpha and CXCR4 in healthy dental pulp and strong expression of SDF-1alpha and CXCR4 in inflamed dental pulp. A methylthiazol tetrazolium assay showed that SDF-1alpha could not promote DPCs proliferation. A transmigration assay, however, indicated that SDF-1alpha enhanced DPCs migration, which could be abolished by anti-CXCR4 antibodies. Taken together, these results imply that the SDF-1alpha-CXCR4 axis may play a role in the recruitment of CXCR4-positive DPCs toward the damaged sites.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Dentistry, Ninth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Ya-Qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Ying-Xin
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Lie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Helena H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Ritchie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D053687:Adult Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D054377:Chemokine CXCL12 / Q000378:metabolism*; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003809:Dentin, Secondary / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011671:Pulpitis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D054377:Chemokine CXCL12; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D013844:Thiazoles; C022616:thiazolyl blue