title: Isolation, Characterization, and Differentiation of Dental Pulp Stem Cells in Ferrets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ferret canine tooth has been introduced as a suitable model for studying dental pulp regeneration. The aim of this study was to isolate and characterize ferret dental pulp stem cells (fDPSCs) and their differentiation potential.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dental pulp stem cells were isolated from freshly extracted ferret canine teeth. The cells were examined for the expression of stem cell markers STRO-1, CD90, CD105, and CD146. The osteo/odontogenic and adipogenic differentiation potential of fDPSCs was evaluated. Osteogenic and odontogenic marker genes were evaluated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) on days 1, 4, and 8 after osteo/odontogenic induction of fDPSCs including dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), dentin matrix protein-1, osteopontin, and alkaline phosphatase. Human dental pulp cells were used as the control. The results were analyzed using 3-way analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  fDPSCs were positive for STRO1, CD90, and CD105 and negative for CD146 markers with immunohistochemistry. fDPSCs showed strong osteogenic and weak adipogenic potential. The overall expression of DSPP was not significantly different between fDPSCs and human dental pulp cells. The expression of DSPP in osteo/odontogenic media was significantly higher in fDPSCs on day 4 (P < .01). The overall expression of dentin matrix protein-1, osteopontin, and alkaline phosphatase was significantly higher in fDPSCs (P = .0005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  fDPSCs were positive for several markers of dental pulp stem cells resembling human DPSCs and appeared to show a stronger potential to differentiate to osteoblastic rather than odontoblastic lineage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, Periodontics and Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Negar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Homayounfar
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, Periodontics and Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Prashant
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, Periodontics and Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nosrat
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience Research, College of Dentistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Ikbale
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: El Ayachi
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience Research, College of Dentistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Zongdong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, Periodontics and Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Romberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioscience Research, College of Dentistry, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee.
authors.forename: George T-J
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Endodontics, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Electronic address: afouad@unc.edu.
authors.forename: Ashraf F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Fouad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003481:Cuspid / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D023421:Models, Animal; D009804:Odontoblasts / Q000166:cytology; D009805:Odontogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Dairy cattle; in vitro fertilization; microfluidic sperm sorter; sex-sorted embryos; sex-sorted sperm