Bone Abstracts

After trauma or carious lesion dental pulp healing is difficult to predict. In addition systemic diseases like diabetes mellitus can impair the regenerative capacity. New regenerative strategies target prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) by pharmacological inhibitors to stimulate hard and soft tissue healing. PHD inhibitors such as L-mimosine (L-MIM) induce vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production by promoting angiogenesis. However, it is unclear if L-MIM is a feasible tool to stimulate pulp regeneration.

In this study we investigated the response of the dental pulp to L-MIM in monolayer cultures based on viability, proliferation and VEGF production utilizing MTT-tests, 3[H]thymidine incorporation assays, and immunoassays respectively. In addition viability and VEGF production were assessed in tooth slice organ models. To mimic the diabetic milieu, cultures were performed in the presence of advanced glycolysed end-products (AGE).

We found that L-MIM at non-toxic concentration enhances VEGF production under basal conditions in monolayer cultures. This enhanced pro-angiogenic capacity was paralleled by an increase in VEGF production in the tooth slice model. L-MIM elevated the VEGF levels also in monolayer and tooth slice organ cultures performed in the presence of AGE.

Overall these results indicate that the dental pulp responds to L-MIM under basal and under diabetic conditions. Further studies will show if this pro-angiogenetic response to L-MIM found in vitro translates to enhanced pulp regeneration.