Growth factor release and dental pulp stem cell attachment following dentine conditioning: An in vitro study

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of dentine conditioning agents on growth factor liberation and settlement of dental pulp progenitor cells (DPSCs) on dentine surfaces. Methodology: The agents used included ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA; 10%, pH 7.2), phosphoric acid (37%, pH < 1), citric acid (10%, pH 1.5) and polyacrylic acid (25%, pH 3.9). Human dentine slices were conditioned for exaggerated conditioning times of 5 and 10 min, so that the growth factor liberation reached quantifiable levels above the limit of detection of the laboratory methods employed. Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) release and surface exposure were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunogold labelling. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to assess the morphology of cells and coverage by DPSCs cultured on dentine surfaces for 8 days. Results: After 5-min conditioning of dentine slices, citric acid was the most effective agent for growth factor release into the aqueous environment as measured by ELISA (Mann–Whitney U with Bonferroni correction, p