Effects of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) on the odontoclastic differentiation ability of human dental pulp cells

OBJECTIVES The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effects of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) on odontoclastic differentiation in the dental pulp tissue. MATERIAL AND METHODS The effects of different TEGDMA dosages on the odontoclastic differentiation capability of dental pulp cells were analyzed in vitro using the following methodologies: i) flow cytometry and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining; ii) apoptotic effects using Annexin V staining; iii) mRNA expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)-kB ligand (RANKL) genes by quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR); and iv) OPG and RANKL protein expression by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS TEGDMA caused relatively less odontoclastic differentiation in comparison with the control group; however, odontoclastic differentiation augmented with increasing doses of TEGDMA (p<0.05). The mRNA and protein expression of OPG was lower in TEGDMA treated pulp cells than in the control group (p<0.05). While the mRNA expression of RANKL remained unchanged compared to the control group (p>0.05), its protein expression was higher than the control group (p<0.05). In addition, TEGDMA increased the apoptosis of dental pulp cells dose dependently. CONCLUSIONS TEGDMA reduced the odontoclastic differentiation ability of human dental pulp cells. However, odontoclastic differentiation ratios increased proportionally with the increasing dose of TEGDMA.