Abstract
In situ tissue engineering has become a novel strategy to repair periodontal/bone tissue defects. The choice of cytokines that promote the recruitment and proliferation, and potentiate and maintain the osteogenic differentiation ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is the key point in this technique. Stromal cell‑derived factor‑1 (SDF‑1) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) have the ability to promote the recruitment, and proliferation of MSCs; however, the differential effect of SDF‑1 and bFGF pretreatment on MSC osteogenic differentiation potency remains to be explored. The present study comparatively observed osteogenic differentiation of bone morrow MSCs (BMMSCs) pretreated by bFGF or SDF‑1 in vitro. The gene and protein expression levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), runt related transcription factor 2 (Runx‑2) and bone sialoprotein (BSP) were detected using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. The results showed that the expression of ALP mRNA on day 3, and BSP and Runx‑2 mRNA on day 7 in the bFGF pretreatment group was significantly higher than those in SDF‑1 pretreatment group. Expression levels of Runx‑2 mRNA, and ALP and Runx‑2 protein on day 3 in the SDF‑1 pretreatment group were higher than those in the bFGF pretreatment group. However, there was no significant difference in osteogenic differentiation ability on day 14 and 28 between the bFGF‑ or SDF‑1‑pretreatment groups and the control. In conclusion, bFGF and SDF‑1 pretreatment inhibits osteogenic differentiation of BMMSCs at the early stage, promotes it in the medium phase, and maintains it in the later stage during osteogenic induction, particularly at the mRNA level. Out of the two cytokines, bFGF appeared to have a greater effect on osteogenic differentiation.