title: [Effects of nimodipine on human dentinogenesis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Studies have showed that L type calcium channel plays an important role in dentin calcification and affects tooth development and tooth reparation after injury. The objective of this article is to study the effects of nimodipine, blocking agent of L type calcium channel, on human dentinogenesis using human tooth slice organ culture in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Young healthy human premolars were collected, and cut into 2 mm-thick transverse slices by low speed diamond saw. Agarose beads dipped in nimodipine solution and PBS weresy minetrically placed on tooth slices, and the slices were then embedded in a semisolid agarose-based medium and cultured with organ culture method for 1 week. Fluorescent band of tetracycline, Von-Kossa staining, immunohistochemical staining of the slices and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of odontoblasts were observed to evaluate dentinogenesis changes of the slices.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tooth slices were successfully cultured in vitro for 1 week and the odontoblasts could maintain their original morphology. After treatment with nimodipine, the fluorescent band of tetracycline was narrow and weak, and globular calcification in predentine was decreased compared with the control. TEM showed that secretory vesicles in odontoblast were somewhat increased, hut iminunohistochemical staining for collagen I showed no difference between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nimodipine can influence the calcification of dentine, but has no obvious influence on the synthesis and secretion of dentine matrix. The results show that L type calcium channel is important in dentin calcification.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, College of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, X'ian, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-ru
authors.initials: XR
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yu-cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rong-yin
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D003804:Dentin; D003810:Dentinogenesis; D006801:Humans; D009553:Nimodipine; D009804:Odontoblasts; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D009553:Nimodipine