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Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Isolation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Human Alveolar Periosteum and Effects of Vitamin D on Osteogenic Activity of Periosteum-derived Cells
Published on: May 4, 2018
The effects of dexamethasone, ascorbic acid, and β-glycerophosphate on osteoblastic differentiation by regulating
1Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. jbassoonis@yahoo.co.kr
Background:
Ascorbic acid (AA), β-glycerophosphate (GP), and dexamethasone (DEX) are the compounds known to favor the expression of the osteoblastic phenotype in several bone cell systems.
Materials And Methods:
In this report, the combination effects of differentiation agents on osteoprecursor cells were evaluated. The effect on cell proliferation was determined by a cell viability test with morphologic analysis. Differentiation and mineralization were evaluated using an alkaline phosphatase activity test and alizarin red-S staining. Protein expressions related to bone formation, such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), estrogen receptor-alpha (ER-α), and osteopontin (OPN) were evaluated by using a Western blot analysis.
Results And Conclusion:
AA and GP provided an inductive effect for differentiation of osteoprecusor cells, while short-term application of DEX seemed to lead to a dose-dependent increase of cellular differentiation. Long-term use of DEX seemed to reduce mineralization. These effects may seem to be regulated by the expression of ER-α, OPN, and TGF-β. Further studies related to this mechanism within the in vivo model may be necessary to ascertain greater detail.
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