Effects of Notch ligand Delta1 on the proliferation and differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells in vitro.

OBJECTIVE

Notch signalling controls cell fate decisions in adult and embryonic tissues. The Notch ligand Delta1 is known to influence proliferation and differentiation of many kinds of tissue specific stem cells. In the present study, we investigated the role of Delta1 in the regulation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) in vitro.

METHODS

DPSCs were isolated from impacted third molars. Expression of human Notch1, 2 and Delta1 in DPSCs were detected by immunochemistry. Delta1 overexpressed DPSCs were constructed by a retroviral method. Delta1 transduced DPSCs proliferation changes were examined by means of colony-forming assay, BrdU incorporation assay and cell cycle analysis. Delta1 transduced DPSCs were cultured in differentiation-inductive medium. The nodule formation and DSPP expression were evaluated.

RESULTS

It was shown that the Notch receptors and Delta1 ligand were expressed throughout the proliferation and differentiation process of cultured dental pulp stem cells. Furthermore, it was found in our study that Delta1 could significantly enhance the proliferation of DPSCs and permit DPSCs differentiating into odontoblast-like cells in differentiation-inductive environments.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings verified that Notch-Delta1 signalling was expressed in human DPSCs in vitro and appeared to play pivotal role in DPSCs proliferation enhancement and differentiation regulation, thereby consistent with the hypothesis that the Notch pathway controls stem cell fate during pulp regeneration.