Study of the function of transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 on mouse dental pulp repair

• Grant number: 12/13547-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2012
• End date: October 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Endodontics
• Principal Investigator: Sandra Helena Penha de Oliveira
• Grantee: Mariana Alvarez Quinta Reis
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The dental pulp is persistently affected by environmental insults along with human life, such as caries and restorative dentistry procedures. The repairability of the dental pulp is quite limited and the mechanisms involved in this biological event are not completely understood. Transforming growth factor-b1 is being correlated to a wide range of important toot-related biological processes such as odontogenesis and tissue repair. However, the precise role of TGF-b1 during injured dental pulp repair was not determined yet. The present study aims to investigate dental pulp repair under the TGF-b1 biological effects blockade. Balb/c mice will be treated with a TGFBRI inhibitor (SB-431542) or vehicle alone and subjected to dental pulp exposure followed by pulp capping with mineral trioxide aggregate. After 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks, the animals will be euthanized and specimens will be collected and fixed. The hemimandibles will be subjected to histology processing followed by Hematoxylin and Eosin staining and Masson's trichrome staining as well. The morphological analysis will be performed by means of the subjective description of the following parameters: (I) reparative dentin formation; (II) integrity of the formed dentin bridge; (III) presence of necrotic areas; (IV) presence of inflammatory infiltrate; (V) fibrosis/hyalinization areas. Additionally, the counting of recruited neutrophils and mononuclear cells will be performed on treated- and non-treated samples. By means of immunohistochemistry, staining for the proteins ±-smooth muscle actin and dentin matrix protein-1 will be carried out. Comparative analysis of the abovementioned biological parameters among SB-431542 treated and non-treated groups will be performed through One-way ANOVA followed by Tukey post-test. (AU)