Abstract
Objective. To test the hypothesis that T-type voltage-dependent calcium channels (T-CaCNs) are involved in basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-induced proliferation of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (HPLFs). Materials and methods. This study examined the expression of the T-type calcium channel sub-units CaV 3.1, CaV 3.2 and CaV 3.3 in HPLFs by real-time PCR. Mibefradil, a T-CaCNs antagonist, was used to block the effect of T-CaCNs and the proliferation of HPLFs was evaluated by the water-soluble tetrazolium (WST) assay. The level of intracellular calcium was measured by laser confocal microscopy. Results. Expression of the three subunits of T-CaCNs in HPLFs was detected, which was strongly up-regulated upon stimulation by bFGF. The proliferation of HPLFs induced by bFGF was decreased significantly by treatment with Mibefradil. This effect was associated with the decreased expression of T-CaCNs and a decreased level of intracellular calcium. Conclusions. Expression of the T-CaCNs affected the proliferation of HPLFs that was induced by bFGF, indicating that T-CaCNs could be important in mediating periodontal ligament (PDL) remodeling.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the laboratory of the Center for Endemic Disease Control of Harbin Medical University for technical assistance.
Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.