The Effect of 1α,25(OH)2D3 on Osteogenic Differentiation of Stem Cells from Dental Pulp of Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) are a population of highly proliferative cells, being capable of differentiating into osteogenic, odontogenic, adipocytes, and neural cells. Vitamin D3 metabolites such as 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 are key factors in the regulation of bone metabolism. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on osteogenic differentiation (alkaline phosphatase activity and alizarin red staining) of stem cells of exfoliated deciduous teeth. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Dental pulp was removed from freshly extracted primary teeth and immersed in a digestive solution. Then, the dental pulp cells were immersed in α-MEM (minimum essential medium) to which 10% fetal bovine serum was added. After the third passage, the cells were isolated from the culture plate and were used for osteogenic differentiation. As a control group, the cells were cultured in osteogenic cell culture medium. As the case group, the cells were cultured in osteogenic culture medium supplemented with 100 nM 1α,25 (OH)2D3. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and alizarin red staining were analyzed to evaluate the osteogenic differentiation at day 21. The results were analyzed by using t-test. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, significant increase was observed in ALP activity of SHEDs after being treated with 1α,25(OH)2D3 (p= 0.002). Alizarin red staining demonstrated that the cells exposed to 1α,25(OH)2D3 induced higher mineralized nodules (p< 0.001). CONCLUSION: Osteoblast differentiation in SHEDs was stimulated by 1α,25(OH) 2D3. It can be concluded that 1α,25(OH)2D3 can improve osteoblastic differentiation.