Extracellular ATP released via pannexin-1 channels, in response to the activation of mechanosensitive-TRP channels during odontoblast mechanical stimulation, mediates intercellular communication among odontoblasts in dental pulp slice preparation dissected from rat incisor. Recently, odontoblast cell lines, such as mouse odontoblast lineage cells, have been widely used to investigate physiologi...

In this study, starting from human dental pulp cells cultured in vitro, we simulated reparative dentinogenesis using a medium supplemented with different odontogenic inductors. The differentiation of dental pulp cells in odontoblast-like cells was evaluated by means of staining, and ultramorphological, biochemical and biomolecular methods. Alizarin red staining showed mineral deposition while t...

The distribution and organization of odontoblast processes in young human dentin was examined with a scanning electron microscope. By applying the HCl-collagenase method, the extracellular matrix of dentin was almost completely removed, thereby exposing the odontoblast processes and their branches to direct observation. The odontoblast processes are located close to the dentinoenamel junction. ...

Cell migration and replication associated with odontoblast replacement occurring soon after pulp exposure in primate teeth were studied. Class 5 cavity preparations resulting in pulp exposures were restored with a calcium hydroxide-containing capping agent and amalgam. Eighty-four and 96 h after this the animals were injected with 0.5 microCi/g body wt tritiated thymidine (sp. act. 6.7 Ci/mM). ...

We previously reported that matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 accelerates wound healing following dental pulp injury. In addition, we reported that a proinflammatory cytokine mixture (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and interferon-γ) induced MMP-3 activity in odontoblast-like cells derived from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, suggesting that MMP-3 plays a potential unique physiolog...

Methods for differentiating induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells into odontoblasts generally require epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Here, we sought to characterize the cells produced by a 'hanging drop' technique for differentiating mouse iPS cells into odontoblast-like cells that requires no such interaction. Cells were cultured by the hanging drop method on a collagen type-I (Col-I) sca...

We have previously reported that interleukin (IL)-1β induces matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3-regulated cell proliferation in mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC)-derived odontoblast-like cells, suggesting that MMP-3 plays a potentially unique physiological role in regeneration by odontoblast-like cells. MMPs are able to process virtually any component of the extracellular matrix, including collagen...

In vitro approaches have extensively been developed to study reparative dentinogenesis. While dental pulp is a source of unidentified progenitors able to differentiate into odontoblast-like cells, we investigated the effect of two media; MEM (1.8 mM Ca and 1 mM Pi) and RPMI 1640 (0.8 mM Ca and 5 mM Pi) on the behaviour of human dental pulp cells. Our data indicate that MEM significantly increas...

Tunicamycin (TM), an antibiotic that selectively inhibits dolichol-mediated protein glycosylation, inhibited morphogenesis and differentiation of odontoblasts in the molar tooth germ in vitro. These effects of TM are reversible and dose-dependent, and in advanced teeth the effect of TM was not complete unless the basement membrane was removed prior to culture. TM did not prevent secretion of pr...

We previously established a method for the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells into α2 integrin-positive odontoblast-like cells. We also reported that Wnt5 in response to interleukin (IL)-1β induces matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3-regulated cell proliferation in these cells. Our findings suggest that MMP-3 plays a potentially unique physiological role in ...