Effects of compressive stress on the expression of M-CSF, IL-1β, RANKL and OPG mRNA in periodontal ligament cells

Mechanical stress alters protein O-GlcNAc in human periodontal ligament cells

Protein O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a post-translational modification of intracellular proteins that regulates several physiological and pathophysiological process, including response to various stressors. However, O-GlcNAc's response to mechanical stress has not been investigated yet. As human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells are stimulated by compression force during orthodontic tooth movement that results in structural remodelling, in this study we investigated whether mechanical stress induces any alteration in protein O-GlcNAc in PDL cells. In this study, PDL cells isolated from premolars extracted for orthodontic indications were exposed to 0, 1.5, 3, 7 and 14 g/cm² compression forces for 12 hours. Cell viability was measured by flow cytometry, and protein O-GlcNAc was analysed by Western blot. Cellular structure and intracellular distribution of O-GlcNAc was studied by immunofluorescence microscopy. We found that between 1.5 and 3 g/cm² mechanical compression, O-GlcNAc significantly elevated; however, at higher forces O-GlcNAc level was not increased. We also found that intracellular localization of O-GlcNAc proteins became more centralized under 2 g/cm² compression force. Our results suggest that structural changes stimulated by compression forces have a significant effect on the regulation of O-GlcNAc; thus, it might play a role in the mechanical stress adaptation of PDL cells.

Effects of low magnitude high frequency mechanical vibration combined with compressive force on human periodontal ligament cells in vitro

Objective

Vibration can be used to accelerate tooth movement, though the exact mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of low magnitude high frequency (LMHF) vibration combined with compressive force on periodontal ligament (PDL) cells in vitro.

Materials and methods

Human PDL cells were isolated from extracted premolar teeth of four individuals. To determine the optimal frequency for later used in combination with compressive force, three cycles of low-magnitude (0.3 g) vibrations at various frequencies (30, 60, or 90 Hz) were applied to PDL cells for 20 min every 24 h. To investigate the effects of vibration combined with compressive force, PDL cells were subjected to three cycles of optimal vibration frequency (V) or 1.5 g/cm2 compressive force for 48 h (C) or vibration combined with compressive force (VC). Cell viability was assessed using MTT assay. PGE2, soluble RANKL (sRANKL), and OPG production were quantified by ELISA. RANKL, OPG, and Runx2 expression were determined using real-time PCR.

Results

Cell viability was decreased in groups C and VC. PGE2 and RANKL, but not OPG, were increased in groups V, C, and VC, thus increasing the RANKL/OPG ratio. The highest level was observed in group VC. sRANKL was increased in groups V, C, and VC; however, no significant different between the experimental groups. Runx2 expression was reduced in groups C and VC.

Conclusions

Vibration increased PGE2, RANKL, and sRANKL, but not OPG and Runx2. Vibration had the additive effects on PGE2 and RANKL, but not sRANKL in compressed PDL cells.

Expression of biological mediators during orthodontic tooth movement: A systematic review

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present systematic review was to offer a timeline of the events taking place during orthodontic tooth movement(OTM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE were searched up to November 2017. All studies describing the expression of signaling proteins in the periodontal ligament(PDL) of teeth subjected to OTM or describing the expression of signaling proteins in human cells of the periodontal structures subjected to static mechanical loading were considered eligible for inclusion for respectively the in-vivo or the in-vitro part. Risk of bias assessment was conducted according to the validated SYRCLE's RoB tool for animal studies and guideline for assessing quality of in-vitro studies for in-vitro studies.

RESULTS

We retrieved 7583 articles in the initial electronic search, from which 79 and 51 were finally analyzed. From the 139 protein investigated, only the inflammatory proteins interleukin(IL)-1β, cyclooxygenase(COX)-2 and prostaglandin(PG)-E2, osteoblast markers osteocalcin and runt-related transcription factor(RUNX)2, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand(RANKL) and osteoprotegerin(OPG) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases(ERK)1/2 are investigated in 10 or more studies.

CONCLUSION

The investigated proteins were presented in a theoretical model of OTM. We can conclude that the cell activation and differentiation and recruitment of osteoclasts is mediated by osteocytes, osteoblasts and PDL cells, but that the osteogenic differentiation is only seen in stem cell present in the PDL. In addition, the recently discovered Ephrin/Ephs seem to play an role parallel with the thoroughly investigated RANKL/OPG system in mediating bone resorption during OTM.

Cell survival and gene expression under compressive stress in a three-dimensional in vitro human periodontal ligament-like tissue model

This study investigated cell survival and gene expression under various compressive stress conditions mimicking orthodontic force by using a newly developed in vitro model of human periodontal ligament-like tissue (HPdLLT). The HPdLLT was developed by three-dimensional culturing of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts in a porous poly-L-lactide matrix with threefold increased culture media permeability due to hydrophilic modification. In vitro HPdLLTs in experimental groups were subjected to 5, 15, 25 and 35 g/cm(2) compressive stress for 1, 3, 7 or 14 days; controls were cultured over the same periods without compressive stress. Cell morphology and cell apoptosis in the experimental and control groups were investigated using scanning electron microscopy and caspase-3/7 detection. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed for seven osteogenic and osteoclastic genes. Similar extracellular matrix and spindle-shaped cells were observed inside or on the surface of in vitro HPdLLTs, with no relation to compressive stress duration or intensity. Similar caspase-3/7 activity indicating comparable apoptosis levels was observed in all samples. Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand and bone morphogenetic protein 2 genes showed characteristic "double-peak" expression at 15 and 35 g/cm(2) on day 14, and alkaline phosphatase and periodontal ligament-associated protein 1 expression peaked at 5 g/cm(2) on day 14; other genes also showed time-dependent and load-dependent expression patterns. The in vitro HPdLLT model system effectively mimicked the reaction and gene expression of the human periodontal ligament in response to orthodontic force. This work provides new information on the effects of compressive stress on human periodontal ligament tissue.

An integrated instrument for rapidly deforming living cells using rapid pressure pulses and simultaneously monitoring applied strain in near real time

Because many types of living cells are sensitive to applied strain, different in vitro models have been designed to elucidate the cellular and subcellular processes that respond to mechanical deformation at both the cell and tissue level. Our focus was to improve upon an already established strain system to make it capable of independently monitoring the deflection and applied pressure delivered to specific wells of a commercially available, deformable multiwell culture plate. To accomplish this, we devised a custom frame that was capable of mounting deformable 6 or 24 well plates, a pressurization system that could load wells within the plates, and a camera-based imaging system which was capable of capturing strain responses at a sufficiently high frame rate. The system used a user defined program constructed in Labview(®) to trigger plate pressurization while simultaneously allowing the deflection of the silicone elastomeric plate bottoms to be imaged in near real time. With this system, up to six wells could be pulsed simultaneously using compressed air or nitrogen. Digital image capture allowed near-real time monitoring of applied strain, strain rate, and the cell loading profiles. Although our ultimate goal is to determine how different strain rates applied to neurons modulates their intrinsic biochemical cascades, the same platform technology could be readily applied to other systems. Combining commercially available, deformable multiwell plates with a simple instrument having the monitoring capabilities described here should permit near real time calculations of stretch-induced membrane strain in multiple wells in real time for a wide variety of applications, including high throughput drug screening.

FAK Pathway Regulates PGE2 Production in Compressed Periodontal Ligament Cells

This study examined the role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) as a mechanoreceptor in human periodontal ligament (hPDL) cells. hPDL cells were obtained from premolars extracted for orthodontic purposes. Mechanical stress was applied in a compressive manner (2 g/cm2) for various time durations (0.5, 2, 6, 24, 48 hrs) with or without a knockdown treatment for FAK. Compressive stimulation increased the level of phosphorylated FAK and prostaglandin E2 production. The FAK-knockdown cells showed significantly lower prostaglandin E2 levels than the control cells. Furthermore, compressive stress up-regulated cyclo-oxygenase-2 mRNA, whereas there were no changes observed in the FAK-knockdown cells. These results suggest that FAK regulates the production of prostaglandin E2 via the transcriptional regulation of COX-2 mRNA in compressive stimulated PDL cells. The FAK-integrin complex plays a role in mechanoreception and mechanotransduction in hPDL cells.