title: Diverse effects of lead nitrate on the proliferation, differentiation, and gene expression of stem cells isolated from a dental origin.
abstract: Lead (Pb(2+)) exposure continues to be a significant public health problem. Therefore, it is vital to have a continuous epidemiological dataset for a better understanding of Pb(2+) toxicity. In the present study, we have exposed stem cells isolated from deciduous and permanent teeth, periodontal ligament, and bone marrow to five different types of Pb(2+) concentrations (160, 80, 40, 20, and 10 µM) for 24 hours to identify the adverse effects of Pb(2+) on the proliferation, differentiation, and gene expression on these cell lines. We found that Pb(2+) treatment altered the morphology and adhesion of the cells in a dose-dependent manner. There were no significant changes in terms of cell surface phenotypes. Cells exposed to Pb(2+) continued to differentiate into chondrogenesis and adipogenesis, and a severe downregulation was observed in osteogenesis. Gene expression studies revealed a constant expression of key markers associated with stemness (Oct 4, Rex 1) and DNA repair enzyme markers, but downregulation occurred with some ectoderm and endoderm markers, demonstrating an irregular and untimely differentiation trail. Our study revealed for the first time that Pb(2+) exposure not only affects the phenotypic characteristics but also induces significant alteration in the differentiation and gene expression in the cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdullah
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Fazliny Abd
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nareshwaran
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1550-4538
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gnanasegaran
authors.affiliation: Hygieia Innovation Sdn. Bhd, Lot 1G-2G, Komplex Lanai, No. 2, Persiaran Seri Perdana, Persint 10, 62250 Putrajaya, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Vijayendran
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Govindasamy
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Noor Hayaty
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8889-842X
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Abu Kasim
authors.affiliation: Department of Children's Dentistry and Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sabri
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9510-1864
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Musa
mesh_terms: D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D019070:Cell Lineage; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007854:Lead / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D007854:Lead; C017461:lead nitrate