The aim of our study was to investigate the osteoinductive potential of a titanium (Ti) surface with nanotopography, using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and the mechanism involved in this phenomenon. Polished Ti discs were chemically treated with H2 SO4 /H2 O2 to yield nanotopography and rat MSCs were cultured under osteogenic and non-osteogenic conditions on both nanotopography and untreated polished (control) Ti surfaces. The nanotopography increased cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (Alp) activity and upregulated the gene expression of key bone markers of cells grown under both osteogenic and non-osteogenic conditions. Additionally, the gene expression of α1 and β1 integrins was higher in cells grown on Ti with nanotopography under non-osteogeneic condition compared with control Ti surface. The higher gene expression of bone markers and Alp activity induced by Ti with nanotopography was reduced by obtustatin, an α1β1 integrin inhibitor. These results indicate that α1β1 integrin signaling pathway determines the osteoinductive effect of nanotopography on MSCs. This finding highlights a novel mechanism involved in nanosurface-mediated MSCs fate and may contribute to the development of new surface modifications aiming to accelerate and/or enhance the process of osseointegration.

The aim of this study was to investigate if chemically produced nanotopography on titanium (Ti) surface induces osteoblast differentiation of cultured human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) by regulating the expression of microRNAs (miRs). It was demonstrated that Ti with nanotopography induces osteoblast differentiation of hMSCs as evidenced by upregulation of osteoblast specific markers compared with untreated (control) Ti at day 4. At this time-point, miR-sequencing analysis revealed that 20 miRs were upregulated (>2 fold) while 20 miRs were downregulated (>3 fold) in hMSCs grown on Ti with nanotopography compared with control Ti. Three miRs, namely miR-4448, -4708 and -4773, which were significantly downregulated (>5 fold) by Ti with nanotopography affect osteoblast differentiation of hMSCs. These miRs that directly target SMAD1 and SMAD4, both key transducers of the bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) osteogenic signal, were upregulated by Ti with nanotopography. Overexpression of miR-4448, -4708 and 4773 in MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts noticeably inhibited gene and protein expression of SMAD1 and SMAD4 and therefore repressed the gene expression of key bone markers. Additionally, it was observed that the treatment with BMP-2 displayed a higher osteogenic effect on MC3T3-E1 cells grown on Ti with nanotopography compared with control Ti, suggesting that the BMP-2 signaling pathway was more effective on this surface. Taken together, these results indicate that a complex regulatory network involving a miR-SMAD-BMP-2 circuit governs the osteoblast differentiation induced by Ti with nanotopography.

Mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow (BM-MSCs) and adipose tissue (AT-MSCs) are attractive tools for cell-based therapies to repair bone tissue. In this study, we investigated the osteogenic and adipogenic potential of BM-MSCs and AT-MSCs as well as the effect of crosstalk between osteoblasts and adipocytes on cell phenotype expression. Rat BM-MSCs and AT-MSCs were cultured either in growth, osteogenic, or adipogenic medium to evaluate osteoblast and adipocyte differentiation. Additionally, osteoblasts and adipocytes were indirectly co-cultured to investigate the effect of adipocytes on osteoblast differentiation and vice versa. BM-MSCs and AT-MSCs exhibit osteogenic and adipogenic potential under non-differentiation-inducing conditions. When exposed to osteogenic medium, BM-MSCs exhibited higher expression of bone markers compared with AT-MSCs. Conversely, under adipogenic conditions, AT-MSCs displayed higher expression of adipose tissue markers compared with BM-MSCs. The presence of adipocytes as indirect co-culture repressed the expression of the osteoblast phenotype, whereas osteoblasts did not exert remarkable effect on adipocytes. The inhibitory effect of adipocytes on osteoblasts was due to the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in culture medium by adipocytes. Indeed, the addition of exogenous TNF-α in culture medium repressed the differentiation of BM-MSCs into osteoblasts mimicking the indirect co-culture effect. In conclusion, our study showed that BM-MSCs are more osteogenic while AT-MSCs are more adipogenic. Additionally, we demonstrated the key role of TNF-α secreted by adipocytes on the inhibition of osteoblast differentiation. Thus, we postulate that the higher osteogenic potential of BM-MSCs makes them the first choice for inducing bone repair in cell-based therapies.

Several biological events are controlled by Hedgehog (Hh) signaling, including osteoblast phenotype development. This study aimed at evaluating the gene expression profile of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) treated with the Hh agonist, purmorphamine, focusing on Hh signaling and osteoblast differentiation. hMSCs from bone marrow were cultured in non-osteogenic medium with or without purmorphamine (2 µM) for periods of up to 14 days. Purmorphamine up-regulated gene expression of the mediators of Hh pathway, SMO, PTCH1, GLI1, and GLI2. The activation of Hh pathway by purmorphamine increased the expression of several genes (e.g., RUNX2 and BMPs) related to osteogenesis. Our results indicated that purmorphamine triggers Hh signaling pathway in hMSCs, inducing an increase in the expression of a set of genes involved in the osteoblast differentiation program. Thus, we conclude that Hh is a crucial pathway in the commitment of undifferentiated cells to the osteoblast lineage.

The aim of this study was to investigate the adjunctive effect of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) to scaling and root planing (SRP) in smokers with chronic periodontitis. Twenty subjects had two contralateral teeth randomly assigned to receive SRP (SRP group) or SRP + a single episode of aPDT (SRP + aPDT group), with a diode laser and a phenothiazine photosensitizer. Plaque index, bleeding on probing, probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and gingival recession were recorded, and gingival crevicular fluid was collected for assay of IL-1β and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8 levels. There was a significant PD reduction (SRP 1.81 ± 0.52 mm/SRP + aPDT 1.58 ± 1.28 mm; p < 0.001) and a significant CAL gain (SRP 1.60 ± 0.92 mm/SRP + aPDT 1.41 ± 1.58 mm; p < 0.001) for both groups. Significant differences were not observed in between-group comparisons. IL-1β level in gingival crevicular fluid was higher in SRP group after 1 week (SRP 24.65 ± 18.85 pg/μL/SRP + aPDT 34.07 ± 24.81 pg/μL; p = 0.048), and MMP-8 level was higher in SRP group after 12 weeks (SRP 303.31 ± 331.62 pg/μL/SRP + aPDT 534.23 ± 647.37 pg/μL; p = 0.024). There were no statistically significant differences in intragroup comparisons. The adjunctive effect of aPDT did not warrant improvements on clinical parameters in smokers. However, it resulted in a suppression of IL-1β and MMP-8 when compared with SRP alone.

No abstract

In this study, we evaluated the effect of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene)/barium titanate (P(VDF-TrFE)/BT) membrane on in vivo bone formation. Rat calvarial bone defects were implanted with P(VDF-TrFE)/BT and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes, and at 4 and 8 weeks, histomorphometric and gene expression analyses were performed. A higher amount of bone formation was noticed on P(VDF-TrFE)/BT compared with PTFE. The gene expression of RUNX2, bone sialoprotein, osteocalcin, receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand, and osteoprotegerin indicates that P(VDF-TrFE)/BT favored the osteoblast differentiation compared with PTFE. These results evidenced the benefits of using P(VDF-TrFE)/BT to promote new bone formation, which may represent a promising alternative to be employed in guided bone regeneration.

The purpose of this study is to comparatively assess the effect of midazolam and nitrous oxide associated with oxygen, in lower third molar extractions, on the change in the anxiety level of patients by salivary cortisol dosage. Twenty-eight male patients underwent lower third molar extraction under sedation with midazolam and nitrous oxide. Objective (salivary cortisol dosage) and subjective (Corah Dental Anxiety Scale) data have been obtained. By salivary cortisol, 40 minutes after midazolam administration, there has been a statistically significant difference compared with the mean baseline value. Midazolam was the most effective sedation method for reducing salivary cortisol level.