Vascular and lymphatic heterogeneity and age-related variations of dental pulps

Haiyang Sun; Shuhuai Meng; Zhengyi Xu; He Cai; Xibo Pei; Qianbing Wan; Junyu Chen

doi:10.1016/j.jdent.2023.104695

Vascular and lymphatic heterogeneity and age-related variations of dental pulps

J Dent. 2023 Nov:138:104695. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2023.104695. Epub 2023 Sep 14.

Authors

Haiyang Sun¹, Shuhuai Meng¹, Zhengyi Xu¹, He Cai¹, Xibo Pei¹, Qianbing Wan², Junyu Chen³

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Prosthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Prosthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. Electronic address: champion@scu.edu.cn.
³ State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Prosthodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. Electronic address: junyuchen@scu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37714450
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdent.2023.104695

Abstract

Objectives: Dental pulp tissue is highly vascularized. However, age-related vascular changes of the dental pulp in mice and humans remain poorly understood. We modified a novel tissue clearing method, mapped the vasculature, pericytes, and perivascular matrix in the dental pulp via high-resolution 3D imaging.

Methods: We isolated young and aged pulps from mouse teeth, and mapped vasculature through a high-resolution thick frozen sections imaging method and a modified tissue clearing method. Human dental pulps were also mapped for vasculature studying. Furthermore, young and aged human dental pulps were collected and were compared with mouse pulps through RNA- sequencing.

Results: Five vascular subtypes of blood vessels were found in the mouse dental pulp, which constituted the arterioles-capillaries-venules network. The density of capillaries and venules of molars declined obviously in aged mice. Among the age-dependent changes in the perivascular pulp matrix, the perivascular macrophages remarkably increased, lymphatic capillaries increased, while the nerves and extracellular matrix remained unchanged. Furthermore, the vascular patterns of human formed a complex vascular network. Both mouse and human dental pulps exhibited an inflammaging state. TNF pathway and Rap1 pathway might become promising targets for combating inflammaging and promoting angiogenesis.

Conclusions: Five subtypes of blood vessels were identified within the dental pulp of mice. Notably, the density of capillaries and venules in pulps of aged mice was reduced. Furthermore, partial similarities were observed in the vascular patterns between the dental pulps of humans and mice. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that both mouse and human dental pulps exhibit indications of an inflammaging state.

Clinical significance: This study may contribute to unraveling potential therapeutic targets in the pulp regeneration and treatment of relevant diseases in the elderly.

Keywords: 3D imaging; Aging; Blood vessels; Dental pulps.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Animals
Dental Pulp*
Humans
Lymphatic Vessels*
Mice
RNA
Regeneration

Substances

RNA