Effects of total flavonoids from Drynaria fortunei on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of rat dental pulp stem cells.

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have the potential to form bone, nerve and fat, and are a candidate for use in regenerative medicine. Previous studies indicated that total flavonoids from Drynaria fortunei show a stimulative effect on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells in vitro. This study aimed to investigate the effect of total flavonoids from Drynaria fortunei on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of rat DPSCs, and to further clarify the mechanisms involved. DPSCs were isolated by enzymatic digestion and identified using the CD44, CD29 and CD34 markers by immunohistochemistry, and exposed to 0.01, 0.05 and 0.1 g/l total flavonoids from Drynaria fortunei media. Total flavonoids from Drynaria fortunei promoted the proliferation of DPSCs in a dose-dependent manner and this effect may depend on the shortening of the G0/G1 phase and promotion of the S phase. Compared with the control group, the levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and the expression of osteogenic genes increased with the concentrations of total flavonoids from Drynaria fortunei, and the volume and number of calcified nodules in the Drynaria groups was bigger compared to the control group. These results suggest that total flavonoid from Drynaria fortunei directly stimulates DPSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation, and may serve as a new promising candidate drug for dental tissue engineering and bone regeneration.