Effects of periodontal ligament stem cells-derived exosomes on biological characteristics of periodontal ligament stem cells in an inflammatory environment

doi:10.12307/2025.038

Abstract

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In recent years, the application of exosomes of periodontal ligament stem cells in periodontal tissue regeneration engineering has been widely studied, but the effect of exosomes on periodontal ligament stem cells derived from inflammatory environment is still unclear.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of exosomes secreted by periodontal ligament stem cells from healthy and inflammatory environments on the proliferation and differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells from inflammatory environments.
METHODS: Human periodontal ligament stem cells from healthy and inflammatory tissues were isolated and cultured by enzyme digestion method. Exosomes were extracted from two kinds of periodontal ligament stem cells using ultracentrifugation. Passage 3 periodontal ligament stem cells derived from inflammatory tissue were selected and cultured in three groups. Cells in the blank group were cultured routinely. The healthy exosome group was added with exosomes secreted by peripheral ligament stem cells derived from healthy tissue. The inflammatory exosome group was added with exosomes secreted by human periodontal ligament stem cells derived from inflammatory tissue. Cell proliferation and cloning were detected. The expression of alkaline phosphatase, the formation of mineralized nodules, and the expression of mRNA and protein of genes related to osteogenesis were detected under osteogenic differentiation.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) CCK-8 assay and clonal formation test showed that compared with the blank group, two kinds of exosomes could promote the proliferation and colony formation of periodontal ligament stem cells from inflammatory tissue (P < 0.05), and the effect of the healthy exosome group was stronger than that of the inflammatory exosome group (P < 0.05). (2) Alkaline phosphatase and alizarin red staining showed that compared with the blank group, the two kinds of exosomes could promote the expression of alkaline phosphatase and the formation of mineralized nodules in periodontal ligament stem cells from inflammatory tissue, and the promoting effect of the healthy exosome group was stronger than that of the inflammatory exosome group. RT-PCR and western blot assay showed that compared with the blank group, the two kinds of exosomes could promote the expression of alkaline phosphatase, RUNX2, and type I collagen mRNA and protein in periodontal ligament stem cells from inflammatory tissue (P < 0.05). The promoting effect of the healthy exosome group was stronger than that of the inflammatory exosome group (P < 0.05). (3) The results showed that exosomes secreted by human periodontal ligament stem cells could promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells derived from inflammatory environments, and the promoting effect of exosomes secreted by human periodontal ligament stem cells derived from healthy tissues was better than that from human periodontal ligament stem cells derived from inflammatory tissues.

Key words: periodontitis, stem cell, periodontal ligament stem cell, exosome, cell proliferation, osteogenic differentiation, tissue engineering

CLC Number:

Jiang Zhiliang, Luo Yaxin, Hu Zhengqi, Yang Li, Yang Chanchan, Chen Hong, Liu Xiaoyi, Huang Yan, Yang Kun. Effects of periodontal ligament stem cells-derived exosomes on biological characteristics of periodontal ligament stem cells in an inflammatory environment[J]. Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research, 2025, 29(13): 2744-2752.

Figures/Tables 10

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