Phenotypic comparison of periodontal ligament cells in vivo and in vitro

The mammalian periodontal ligament contains heterogeneous populations of connective tissue cells, the precise function of which is poorly understood. Despite close proximity to bone and the application of high amplitude physical forces, cells in the periodontal ligament (PL) are capable of expressin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of periodontal research 2001-04, Vol.36 (2), p.71-79
Main Authors: Lekic, P., Rojas, J., Birek, C., Tenenbaum, H., McCulloch, C. A. G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Actins - analysis
Alkaline Phosphatase - analysis
Alveolar Process - cytology
Analysis of Variance
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Biomarkers - analysis
Calcification, Physiologic - drug effects
Cell Differentiation - physiology
Cell differentiation, maturation, development, hematopoiesis
Cell Lineage
Cell physiology
Cells, Cultured
Coloring Agents
Connective Tissue Cells - cytology
Dentistry
Dexamethasone - pharmacology
Ent. Stomatology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Glucocorticoids - pharmacology
Homeostasis - physiology
in vitro
in vivo
Integrin-Binding Sialoprotein
Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects)
Medical sciences
Molar - cytology
Molecular and cellular biology
Osteogenesis - physiology
Osteopontin
Pathology. Cytology. Biochemistry. Spectrometry. Miscellaneous investigative techniques
Periodontal Ligament - cytology
Periodontal Ligament - drug effects
periodontal ligament cells
Phenotype
phenotypic stability
Phosphoproteins - analysis
Rats
Sialoglycoproteins - analysis
Statistics as Topic
Tooth Root - cytology
Tooth Socket - cytology
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Summary:The mammalian periodontal ligament contains heterogeneous populations of connective tissue cells, the precise function of which is poorly understood. Despite close proximity to bone and the application of high amplitude physical forces, cells in the periodontal ligament (PL) are capable of expressing regulatory factors that maintain PL width during adult life. The study of PL homeostasis and PL cell differentiation requires culture and phenotypic methods for precise characterization of PL cell populations, in particular those cells with an inherently osteogenic program. Currently it is unknown if cells cultured from the PL are phenotypically similar to the parental cells that are present in the tissues. We have compared the phenotype of cells in vivo with cells derived from the PL and expanded in vitro to assess the general validity of in vitro models for the study of phenotypic regulation in vivo. Rat PL cells were isolated by either scraping the root of the extracted first mandibular molars (Group A), or by scraping the alveolar socket following extraction of first mandibular molars (Group B), or by obtaining a mixture of cells after disaggregating a block of tissue consisting of first mandibular molar, PL and the surrounding alveolar bone (Group C). Cultured cells at confluence were fixed and immunostained for α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), osteopontin (OPN), alkaline phosphatase (AP), or bone sialoprotein (BSP). For in vivo assessments, frontal sections of rat first mandibular molar were immunostained for α‐SMA, OPN, AP and BSP. We examined osteogenic differentiation of cultured PL cell cultures by bone nodule‐forming assays. In vivo and at all examined sites, >68% of PL cells were immunostained for AP; ∼50% and ∼51% for OPN and α‐SMA (p=0.3), respectively, while only ∼8% were positively stained for BSP (p0.2) except for BSP which was 3 to 4 fold higher in vivo(p
ISSN:0022-3484
1600-0765
DOI:10.1034/j.1600-0765.2001.360202.x