Osteogenic differentiation of pulp stem cells from human permanent teeth on an oxygen-releasing electrospun scaffold

Hypoxia is a major limitation that delays the healing of fractures. Lack of oxygen can lead to cell death and postpone tissue regeneration. Hence, eliminating oxygen starvation by adding oxygen can accelerate bone healing process. In this study, an oxygen-releasing polycaprolactone/sodium percarbonate/polyvinyl alcohol (PCL/SP-PVA) scaffold was developed via electrospinning method. The scaffold was employed as a platform for osteogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). The characterization of the scaffold was carried out with the aid of using Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy analyses. Among the biological techniques, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay indicated that the scaffold had no growth inhibitory effect on the cultured DPSCs. Also, 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining confirmed adhesion of the cells to the scaffold. Moreover, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and alizarin red staining indicated that the prepared scaffold provides a proper matrix for osteogenic differentiation of DPSCs. After 14 and 21 days of DPSCs culture on the scaffold, the osteogenic induction of DPSCs was further confirmed by increasing the expression of ALP, osteocalcin and collagen type I genes using real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. In general, the prepared electrospun PCL/SP-PVA scaffold is capable to release oxygen, which effectively makes osteogenic induction of DPSCs. Therefore, our study supports the use of oxygen-releasing scaffolds as a potential strategy to accelerate bone regeneration.