Biotooth Engineering Lab, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry BK21, Craniomaxillofacial Life Science, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.
Oral Dis. 2011 Oct;17(7):662-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-0825.2011.01820.x. Epub 2011 Jun 27.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were identified in adult human periodontal ligament and dental pulp that are considered as potential stem cell sources for future clinical applications in dentistry. Leptin is known as an important regulator of mesenchymal differentiation. The objective of this study was to elucidate the role of leptin on proliferation and differentiation of dental MSCs.
Enhancement of cemento/odontoblastic differentiation of dental stem cells by leptin was confirmed by alizarin red S staining and alkaline phosphatase activity staining. In contrast, leptin reduced adipogenesis in both dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) confirmed by oil red O staining and RT-PCR. The expression of adipogenic markers, lipoprotein lipase and proliferator-activated receptor γ2 (PPARγ2), were suppressed in PDLSCs incubated on media supplemented with leptin for 2 weeks.
Leptin had a relatively stronger osteogenesis promoting effect and adipogenesis suppressing effect in PDLSCs than in DPSCs.
Collectively, leptin had a relatively stronger promoting effect on cemento/odontoblastic differentiation and a suppressing effect on adipogenesis in PDLSCs than in DPSCs. This study has provided evidence that leptin acts as an important modulator of dental MSCs differentiation.
间充质干细胞（MSCs）存在于成人牙周韧带和牙髓中，被认为是未来牙科临床应用的潜在干细胞来源。瘦素是间充质分化的重要调节因子。本研究旨在阐明瘦素对牙髓间充质干细胞增殖和分化的作用。
通过茜素红 S 染色和碱性磷酸酶活性染色证实瘦素增强了牙源性干细胞的成牙骨质/成牙本质分化。相反，油红 O 染色和 RT-PCR 证实瘦素减少了牙髓干细胞（DPSCs）和牙周膜干细胞（PDLSCs）的脂肪生成。在添加瘦素的培养基中孵育 2 周后，PDLSCs 中脂肪生成标记物脂蛋白脂肪酶和过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体γ2（PPARγ2）的表达受到抑制。
与 DPSCs 相比，瘦素在 PDLSCs 中具有更强的成骨作用和脂肪生成抑制作用。
综上所述，与 DPSCs 相比，瘦素在 PDLSCs 中具有更强的促进牙骨质/成牙本质分化和抑制脂肪生成的作用。本研究提供了证据表明瘦素是牙源性间充质干细胞分化的重要调节剂。
