Microarray analysis of osteogenesis gene of human dental follicle cells stimulated with dexamethasone in vitro

Purpose: To examine osteoblastic genes expression of freshly isolated human dental follicle cells during osteogenic differentiation in vitro using cDNA microarrays. Materials and Methods: The dental follicle cells isolated from dental follicle were cultured in DMEM media with 10 mol/L Dex for 4 weeks, the control without Dex. Total RNA was extracted from the cultured follicle cells with Trizol. An analysis of osteoblastic genes expression of dental follicle cells treated with Dex and the control using cDNA microarrays. The image file was inverted and spots were digitized using ScanAlyze software. Results: There were differences in the expression of 28 genes by human dental follicle cells cultured in the presence of Dex. Among the 28 genes, the expression of 20 genes up-regulated and eight genes down-regulated in Dex-treated cells than control. Conclusion: Our work demonstrates differential osteoblastic genetic expression of dental follicle cells with a Dex-based protocol by microarray for the first time. Some of these selective changes in gene activity might thus reflect the fundamental events that underlie osteoblastic differentiation of human dental follicle cells in vitro. (Int Chin J Dent 2006; 6: 115-122.)