Purpose: To explore the effect and molecular mechanism of long non-coding RNA(lncRNA) AWPPH on proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells by regulating the Notch signaling pathway.
Methods: Human periodontal ligament cells were cultured in vitro, and osteogenic differentiation was induced. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) experiment were used to detect the AWPPH expression level of cells at 0, 3, 7, and 14 days. Human periodontal ligament cells were divided into blank control group (NC), empty vector group (vector), AWPPH overexpression group (AWPPH), and overexpression AWPPH+ pathway inhibitor group (AWPPH+DAPT). qRT-PCR experiment was used to detect the expression level of AWPPH; thiazole blue (MTT), cloning experiment was used to detect cell proliferation. Western blot was performed to detect the protein expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteopontin (OPN), osteocalcin (OCN), Notch1 and Hes1. SPSS 21.0 software package was used for statistical analysis.
Results: The AWPPH expression level in periodontal ligament cells decreased after 0, 3, 7, and 14 days of osteogenic differentiation. Overexpression of AWPPH increased the A value of periodontal ligament cells, the number of cloned cells, and up-regulated the protein expression of ALP, OPN, OCN, Notch1, and Hes1. After adding the pathway inhibitor DAPT, the A value and the number of cloned cells decreased, and the protein expression of Notch1, Hes1, ALP, OPN, and OCN decreased.
Conclusions: Overexpression of AWPPH may inhibit the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament cells by reducing the expression of related proteins in the Notch signaling pathway.