Abstract
Recently, it has been suggested that topical application of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is an effective treatment for periodontal tissue regeneration. Gingival fibroblasts (GFs) play an important role in periodontal tissue regeneration. Many patients who receive periodontal therapy take amlodipine (AML). Since AML inhibits cell proliferation via cell cycle arrest, it may hinder the periodontal tissue regeneration induced by bFGF. In this study, we investigated whether AML affects the cell cycle and the expression of its control genes in the presence of bFGF in human GFs (hGFs). Semi-confluent cells were synchronized at the G0/G1 phase in DMEM containing 0.5% serum (DMEM-0.5) for 24 hrs. After pretreatment with or without 3 or 10 μM AML in DMEM-0.5 for 24 hrs, cells were stimulated with 10 ng/ml bFGF in serum-free DMEM. Then, analyses of the cell cycle and the cell number, and RT-PCR analysis were performed. Our results showed that AML inhibited the bFGF-induced G1/S cell cycle transition through suppressing the mRNA expression of Cdk 1, 2, 4, and 6 and cyclins A, D1, and E in hGFs. In conclusion, AML may exert a negative influence on periodontal tissue regeneration induced by bFGF.
