[Regulation of calculus bovis on the function of mice oral fibroblasts]

To explore the influence of calculus bovis on the function of primary cultured mice oral fibroblasts, we determined the effects of calculus bovis on the fibroblast proliferation, collagen production, matrix metalloproteinases-2, -9 activities and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 production by MTT assay, chloramine T method, gelatin zymography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays respectively. The results showed that calculus bovis could significantly inhibit the proliferation of fibroblasts and collagen synthesis in a concentration dependent manner, could significantly (P<0.05) suppress matrix metalloproteinases-2 activity and very significantly (P<0.01) inhibit the production of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1. In conclusion, the major function of calculus bovis in the process of ulcer healing is not to promote tissue regeneration, the mechanism that calculus bovis inhibits collagen synthesis may be partly due to its ability to very significantly (P<0.01) suppress the production of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1.