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Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Study of Protein-protein Interactions in Autophagy Research
Published on: September 9, 2017
Expression of autophagy‑associated proteins in rat dental irreversible pulpitis
Shengcai Qi1, Jun Qian2, Fubo Chen1
1Department of Stomatology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, P.R. China.
Abstract:
Autophagy serves an important role in numerous diseases, as well as in infection and inflammation. Irreversible pulpitis (IP) is one of the most common inflammatory endodontic diseases, and autophagy has been reported to regulate IP in vitro. However, the level of autophagy in the IP pathogenic process in vivo remains unknown. The aim of the current study was, thus, to investigate the levels of autophagy‑associated proteins in rats with IP in vivo. A rat dental IP model was successfully constructed, and five different time points (0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 days) were investigated. The levels of the autophagy‑related 5 (ATG5), ATG7, light chain 3 (LC3) and Beclin‑1 proteins exhibited a time‑dependent increase in rats with IP, whereas the levels of mammalian target of rapamycin and p62/sequestosome 1 were decreased. In addition, the levels of ATG proteins were specifically increased in odontoblasts and microvascular endothelial cells in pulpitis tissue. Based on these findings, autophagy may serve an important role in IP, and the present study data provide a new insight into the IP pathogenesis and treatment.
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