The combination of VEGF-A and SB-431542 enhance the differentiation of DPSC into endothelial cells

Abstract

Objectives: Endothelial cells (ECs), as the fundamental component of blood vessels, have been the research hot point in tissue engineering for many years. Whereas, considering the scarce availability of human tissue sources for primary ECs isolation, many studies used stem cells as a promising candidate to differentiate into ECs. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the combination of VEGF-A and TGF-β signaling inhibitor SB-431542 could enhance the differentiation efficiency of stem cells from dental pulp (DPSCs) into ECs. Methods: We used VEGF-A and TGF-β signaling inhibitor SB-431542 to stimulate DPSCs. Then, treated-DPSCs were compared with primary pericytes from phenotype to function. Results: DPSCs-derived ECs exhibited some typical phenotypes of primary ECs, like CD31, VEGFR2. Compared with VEGFA alone group, the expression of these genes were higher in the combination of VEGF-A and SB-431542 group. The results of in vitro Matrigel Angiogenesis Study showed that vascular structures generated by DPSCs-derived ECs in the combination of VEGF-A and SB-431542 group were stronger than VEGFA alone group in terms of vessel stable time and branch numbers. Conclusions: Our results indicated that the combination of VEGF-A and SB-431542 could enhance the differentiation of DPSC into functional endothelial cells.