Effects of Proanthocyanidins on Mineralization of Human Dental Pulp Cells in Vitro and in Vivo

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the oxidative stress protection and differentiation promotion effects of proanthocyanidins on human dental pulp cells.
Methods: Human dental pulp cells were obtained by using a modified tissue explant technique in vitro. The cell viability, alkaline phosphatase activity, odontogenic correlated gene expression, calcium nodules in vitro was investigated to reveal proanthocyanidins’s influence on human dental pulp cells viability and differentiation. Dentin-like tissue formation in nude mouse was observed and analyzed to study if proanthocyanidins is capable of promoting odontoblast differentiation in vivo.
Results: Relative low concentration (20mg/L) of proanthocyanidins has no significant cytotoxicity. H₂O₂ induced cell viability decrease was alleviated by proanthocyanidins. Moreover, proanthocyanidins promoted cell alkaline phosphatase activity, odontogenic correlated gene expression, calcium nodules in vitro and dentin-like tissue formation in vivo.
Conclusions: These results imply that proanthocyanidins might protect human dental pulp cells from oxidative stress and promote odontogenic differentiation of human dental pulp cells in vitro and in vivo. Proanthocyanidins may be a candidate for pulp capping and dental tissue engineering.