Animal reversible-pulpitis models reveal the pulpitis-specific pulpal wound healing mechanisms

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19025
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 57030:Conservative dentistry-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Komichi Shungo 大阪大学, 歯学研究科, 招へい教員 (40804456)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 歯髄 / 創傷治癒

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We conducted a study focusing on "establishment of a rat model with reversible pulpitis derived from caries bacteria". By modifying a rat caries model that has already been established in the field of cariology and examining cvity preparation as pretreatment, the amount of bacteria to be disseminated and the breeding period, we successfully established a model that induces reversible pulpitis.
In this model, caries lesions are created in specific parts of the teeth and evaluated by micro CT.When pulp capping experiments were performed using an established caries-derived reversible pulpitis rat model, PCNA and positive cells in the pulp tissue immediately below the pulp capping were compared with the conventional pulp capping model with healthy pulp. As results, the number of PCNA positive cells were increased in pulpitis model.
From these results, a part of wound healing mechanisms of reversible pulpitis was clarified.

Free Research Field

歯髄生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

研究期間を通じて、歯の特定の部位のみにう蝕病変を作成し、可逆性歯髄炎を惹起するラットモデルを確立することに成功した。 作成したう蝕細菌由来可逆性歯髄炎ラットモデルを用いて直接覆髄実験をおこなった結果、健全象牙質と比較し多量の第三象牙質が形成しており、窩洞直下の歯髄組織におけるPCNA陽性細胞数が増加傾向にあることが判明し、可逆性炎症歯髄特異的な創傷治癒メカニズムの存在が示唆された。
本モデルの確立により、実際の臨床における可逆性炎症歯髄を再現し、炎症歯髄特異的な創傷治癒メカニズムを解明することは、 より安全・効果的な覆髄剤の開発につながると期待される。