Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth (SHEDs) and Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSCs) Display a Similar Profile with Pericytes

Shao Yue Zhu; Chang Yong Yuan; Yi Fan Lin; Hao Liu; Yan Qi Yang; Hai Ming Wong; Cheng Fei Zhang; Peng Lai Wang; Min Gu

doi:10.1155/2021/8859902

Stem Cells from Human Exfoliated Deciduous Teeth (SHEDs) and Dental Pulp Stem Cells (DPSCs) Display a Similar Profile with Pericytes

Stem Cells Int. 2021 Jul 24:2021:8859902. doi: 10.1155/2021/8859902. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Shao Yue Zhu^{1

2}, Chang Yong Yuan³, Yi Fan Lin¹, Hao Liu², Yan Qi Yang¹, Hai Ming Wong¹, Cheng Fei Zhang⁴, Peng Lai Wang⁵, Min Gu¹

Affiliations

¹ Discipline of Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
² Orthodontic Department, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
³ Discipline of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
⁴ Endodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
⁵ Dental Implant Center, Affiliated Stomatological Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.

Abstract

Background: Pericytes play an important role in forming functional blood vessels and establishing stable and effective microcirculation, which is crucial for vascular tissue engineering. The slow ex vivo expansion rate, limited proliferative capacity, and variability of tissue-specific phenotypes would hinder experimental studies and clinical translation of primary pericytes. In this study, the angiogenic and pericyte functions of stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHEDs) and postnatal human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were investigated.

Methods: Osteogenic and adipogenic induction assays were performed to evaluate the mesenchymal potential of SHEDs, DPSCs, and pericytes. An in vitro Matrigel angiogenesis assay was conducted to reveal the ability of SHEDs, DPSCs, and pericytes to stabilize vascular-like structures. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to evaluate mRNA expression. Flow cytometry, western blotting, and immunostaining were used to assess the protein expression. Wound healing and transwell assays were performed to evaluate the migration ability of SHEDs, DPSCs, and pericytes.

Results: The osteogenic and adipogenic induction assays showed that SHEDs, DPSCs, and pericytes exhibited similar stem cell characteristics. The mRNA expression levels of PDGFR-β, α-SMA, NG2, and DEMSIN in SHEDs and DPSCs cultured in EC medium were significantly higher than those in the control groups on day 7 (P < 0.05), but significantly higher than those in the pericytes group on day 14 (P < 0.05). Flow cytometry showed that high proportions of SHEDs and DPSCs were positive for various pericyte markers on day 7. The DPSCs, SHEDs, and pericytes displayed strong migration ability; however, there was no significant difference among the groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion: The SHEDs and DPSCs display a profile similar to that of pericytes. Our study lays a solid theoretical foundation for the clinical use of dental pulp stem cells as a potential candidate to replace pericytes.