LAUSR

OBJECTIVE The periapical tissues including periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) are playing an important role in repairing the surrounding tissue of the teeth. A decrease in the regenerative potentiality of resident stem cells (PDLCs) has been suggested to be attributed to the decline of pulp regeneration. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the functional changes in periodontal tissue and cells that occur during the aging process. METHODS The changes in the cementum extract (CE) and PDLCs isolated from young and aged dog teeth were evaluated. PDLCs growth rate, senescence markers, p16 and p21, and proinflammatory cytokines, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were analyzed by RT-PCR. Bax, an apoptosis marker, Bcl-2, a marker for cell survival, and IL-6 were examined by Western blot analyses to detect their variance expression in the CE. RESULTS Our results demonstrated that aged PDLCs exhibit low growth rate and an increased expression of p16, however, no change has been demonstrated in the expression of p21. The chronic inflammatory molecules, IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly upregulated compared to young PDLCs. Western blot analyses showed decreased expression of Bcl-2 in the CE of the aged tooth (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Taken together, aging influences the functional changes of PDLCs and CE and increases senescence, chronic inflammation, and apoptosis markers. As a result, donor age is a key factor influencing the utilization of PDLCs for tooth regeneration.