• Restorative Dentistry and Endodontics
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.290-299
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• 2006

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of ethylene glycol analogs on modulus of elasticity and ultimate tensile strength of moist, demineralized dentin matrix. Methods: Dentin disks 0.5 mrn thick were prepared from mid-coronal dentin of extracted. unerupted, human third molars. 'I' beam and hour-glass shaped specimens were prepared from the disks, the ends protected with nail varnish and the central regions completely demineralized in 0.5M EDTA for 5 days. Ultimate tensile stress (UTS) and low strain modulus of elasticity (E) were determined with specimens immersed for 60 min in distilled water $(H_{2}O)$, ethylene glycol $(HO-CH_{2}-CH_{2}-OH)$, 2-methoxyethanol $(H_{3}CO-CH_{2}-CH_{2}-OH)$, and 1,2-dimethoxyethane $(H_{3}CO-CH_{2}-CH_{3}-OCH_{3})$ prior to testing in those same media. Modulus of elasticity was measured on the same specimens in a repeated measures experimental design. The results were analyzed with a one-way ANOVA on ranks, followed by Dunn's test at ${\alpha}\;=\;0.05$. Regression analysis examined the relationship between UTS or E and hoy's solubility parameter for hydrogen bonding $({\delta}_{h})$ of each solvent. Results: The UTS of demineralized dentin in water, ethylene glycol, 2-methoxyethanol, and 1,2-dimethoxyethane was 24 (3), 30 (5), 37 (6), and 45 (6) MPa, ${\times}$ (SD) N = 10. Low strain E for the same media were 16 (13), 23 (14), 52 (24), and 62 (22) MPa. Regression analysis of UTS vs ${\delta}_{h}$ revealed a significant $(p\;<\;0.0001,\;r\;=\;-0.99,\;R^{2}\;=\;0.98)$ inverse, exponential relationship. A similar inverse relationship was obtained between low strain E vs ${\delta}_{h}\;(p\;<\;0.0005,\;r\;=\;-0.93,\;R^{2}\;=\;0.86)$. Significance: The tensile properties of demineralized dentin are dependent upon the hydrogen bonding ability of polar solvents $({\delta}_{h})$. Solvents with low ${\delta}_{h}$ values may permit new interpeptide H-bonding in collagen that increases its tensile properties. Solvents with high ${\delta}_{h}$ values prevent the development of these new interpeptide H-bonds.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.79-83
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• 2013

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been known to affect to cell migration, proliferation, morphogenesis and apoptosis by degrading the extracellular matrix. In the previous studies, undifferentiated mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) were successfully proliferated inside the extracellular matrix (ECM) analog-conjugated three-dimensional (3D) poly ethylene glycol (PEG)-based hydrogel. However, there is no report about MMP secretion in ESCs, which makes it difficult to understand and explain how ESCs enlarge space and proliferate inside 3D PEG-based hydrogel constructed by crosslinkers containing MMP-specific cleavage peptide sequence. Therefore, we investigated what types of MMPs are released from undifferentiated ESCs and how extracellular signals derived from various niche conditions affect MMP expression of ESCs at the transcriptional level. Results showed that undifferentiated ESCs expressed specifically MMP2 and MMP3 mRNAs. Transcriptional up-regulation of MMP2 was caused by the 3D scaffold, and activation of integrin inside the 3D scaffold upregulated MMP2 mRNAs synergistically. Moreover, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) on 2D matrix and 3D scaffold induced upregulation of MMP3 mRNAs, and activation of integrins through conjugation of extracellular matrix (ECM) analogs with 3D scaffold upregulated MMP3 mRNAs synergistically. These results suggest that successful proliferation of ESCs inside the 3D PEG-based hydrogel may be caused by increase of MMP2 and MMP3 expression resulting from 3D scaffold itself as well as activation of integrins inside the 3D PEG-based scaffold.