Research about the influence of osteopontin( OPN) on osteogenetic differentiation ability of dental pulp stem cells( DPSCs)induced by mineralizing culture medium

Objective To study the influence of osteopontin( OPN) onosteogenetic differentiation ability of dental pulp stem cells( DPSCs) induced by mineralizing culture medium,and to optimize its inducement conditions. Methods DPSCs cultured in mineralizing culture mediumworked as control group,and DPSCs cultured in mineralizing culture medium with OPN was the experimental group. The morphological changes of DPSCs were observed by the inverted phase contrast microscope; and the formation of mineralize nodules was detected with Alizarin red staining method; the expression levels of osteogenic related genes including bone sialoprotein( BSP),Runt-related transcription factor 2( Runx-2),osteocalcin( OCN) and collagen-1( Col-1) were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction( RT-RCR). Results Alizarin red staining showed that mineralized nodules have formed after being induced for 28 days in both groups,and the number and size of the mineralized nodules in experimental group were obviously larger than that in control group. The expressions of osteogenic related genes were all positive in both groups after 7 days. Expression levels of BSP,Runx-2,Col-1and OCN genes of experimental group were significantly higher than control group. Conclusions OPN can enhance the osteogenetic differentiation ability of dental pulp stem cells( DPSCs) induced by mineralizing culture medium.