Vitamin C stimulates human gingival stem cell proliferation and expression of pluripotent markers

• Published in: In vitro cellular & developmental biology. Animal Vol. 52; no. 2; pp. 218 - 227
• Main Authors: Van Pham, Phuc, Tran, Nga Yen, Phan, Nhan Lu-Chinh, Vu, Ngoc Bich, Phan, Ngoc Kim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.02.2016; Springer Science & Business Media LLC; Society for In Vitro Biology
• Subjects: Adipocytes; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Animals; Antigens, Surface - biosynthesis; Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate - biosynthesis; Ascorbic Acid - administration & dosage; Biomarkers - metabolism; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell Biology; Cell Culture; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; CELL GROWTH/DIFFERENTIATION/APOPTOSIS; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Chondrocytes; Developmental Biology; Embryonic stem cells; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental - drug effects; Gingiva; Gingiva - cytology; Gingiva - drug effects; Gingiva - growth & development; Homeodomain Proteins - biosynthesis; Humans; Life Sciences; Mesenchymal stem cells; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells - cytology; Mice; Mouth - cytology; Nanog Homeobox Protein; Octamer Transcription Factor-3 - biosynthesis; Pluripotent stem cells; Proteoglycans - biosynthesis; SOXB1 Transcription Factors - biosynthesis; Stage-Specific Embryonic Antigens - biosynthesis; Stem Cells; Stromal cells; Umbilical cord; Vitamin C; Mesenchymal stem cell; Gum stem cell; Pluripotent marker; Gingival stem cell
• ISSN: 1071-2690; 1543-706X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11626-015-9963-2

Gingival stem cells (GSCs) are a novel source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that are easily accessed from the oral cavity. GSCs were considered valuable autograft MSCs with particular characteristics. However, the limitation in the number of available GSCs remains an obstacle. Therefore, this study aimed to stimulate GSC proliferation by ascorbic acid (AA) and determined the effects of AA on GSC pluripotent potential-related gene expression. GSCs were isolated from gum tissue by explant culture and continuously subcultured before analysis of stemness and effects of AA on pluripotent-related gene expression. GSCs cultured with various concentrations of AA showed increased proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. AA-treated GSCs showed significantly higher expression of SSEA-3, Sox-2, Oct-3/4, Nanog, and TRA-1-60 compared with control cells. More importantly, GSCs also maintained their stemness with MSC phenotypes and failed to cause tumors in nude athymic mice. Our results show that AA is a suitable factor to stimulate GSC proliferation.