Differentiation capacity of BrdU label-retaining dental pulp cells during pulpal healing following allogenic transplantation in mice

Our recent study has demonstrated the localization of putative dental pulp stem cells in the developing molar by chasing 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeling. However, their differentiation capacity subsequent to the tooth transplantation remains to be elucidated. This study aims to clarify the differentiation capacity of -BrdU label-retaining dental pulp cells and their relationship to cell proliferation and apoptosis during pulpal healing following allogenic transplantation in mice. Following extraction of the mouse molar in BrdU-labeled animals, the roots and pulp floor were resected and immediately allo-grafted into the sublingual region in non-labeled animals, and vice versa. In the labeled transplants, label-retaining cells (L-RCs) were increased in number and committed in nestin-positive newly differentiated odontoblast-like cells, whereas they were not committed in osteoblast-like cells. In the labeled host, on the contrary, LRCs were committed in neither odontoblast- nor osteoblast-like cells, although they were transiently increased in number and finally disappeared in the pulp tissue of the transplants. Interestingly, numerous apoptotic cells appeared in the pulp tissue including LRCs during the experimental period. These results suggest that transplanted LRCs maintain their proliferative and differentiation capacity in spite of extensive apoptosis occurring in the transplant, whereas transiently increased host-derived LRCs finally disappear in the pulp chamber following apoptosis.