doiSerbia

The diabetic dental pulp repair: involvement of vascular endothelial growth factor and bone morphogenetic protein 2

Ilić Jugoslav (University of Belgrade, School of Dental Medicine, Department of Restorative Odontology and Endodontics, Belgrade, Serbia)
Radović Katarina (University of Belgrade, School of Dental Medicine, Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Belgrade, Serbia)
Brković Božidar (University of Belgrade, School of Dental Medicine, Department of Oral Surgery, Belgrade, Serbia)
Vasić Jugoslav (University of Belgrade, School of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Surgery, Orthopedics and Ophthalmology, Belgrade, Serbia)
Roganović Jelena (University of Belgrade, School of Dental Medicine, Department of Pharmacology in Dentistry, Belgrade, Serbia), jelena.roganovic@stomf.bg.ac.rs

Introduction/Objective. We aimed to investigate the effects of diabetes mellitus (DM) on rat dental pulp repair by measuring time-dependent changes in expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP 2) following direct pulp capping. Methods. Two groups, each of 20 Wistar rats, received either streptozotocin (for DM induction) or the same volume of sterile saline. A week later, the pulp of maxillary and mandibular right incisors in diabetic and non-diabetic groups were exposed and capped with calcium hydroxide in order to provoke reparative response. The levels of VEGF and BMP 2 were determined in the pulp tissue lysates one and seven days after the pulp capping, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Results. Diabetic state per se increased VEGF level, with a peak at first day after the pulp capping (19.3 ± 0.9 pg/mg, p < 0.001), but did not affect BMP 2 levels. Significant increase of BMP 2 expression was noticed on the seventh day in capped pulp, but only in diabetic rats (16.7 ± 1 pg/mg, p = 0.001). Positive correlation between VEGF and BMP 2 was found on the seventh day following capping, only in diabetic pulp (r = 0.905, p = 0.003). Conclusion. Diabetes-induced increase in VEGF expression reflects changes in the inflammatory phase of pulp repair in DM. Increase in BMP 2 expression suggest that stimulating effect of calcium hydroxide appears seven days after diabetic pulp capping.

Keywords: Dental pulp capping, Diabetes, Vascular endothelial growth factor, Bone morphogenetic protein 2, Calcium hydroxide

Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 175021