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Updated: Aug 9, 2025

Stimulation of Notch Signaling in Mouse Osteoclast Precursors
Published on: February 28, 2017
Effects of Modulation of the Hedgehog and Notch Signaling Pathways on Osteoblast Differentiation Induced by Titanium
Paola Gomes Souza1, Leticia Faustino Adolpho1, Helena Bacha Lopes1
1Bone Research Lab, School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-904, SP, Brazil.
Background:
The events of bone formation and osteoblast/titanium (Ti) interactions may be affected by Hedgehog and Notch signalling pathways. Herein, we investigated the effects of modulation of these signalling pathways on osteoblast differentiation caused by the nanostructured Ti (Ti-Nano) generated by H2SO4/H2O2.
Methods:
Osteoblasts from newborn rat calvariae were cultured on Ti-Control and Ti-Nano in the presence of the Hedgehog agonist purmorphamine or antagonist cyclopamine and of the Notch antagonist N-(3,5-Difluorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT) or agonist bexarotene. Osteoblast differentiation was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralization, and the expression of Hedgehog and Notch receptors was also evaluated.
Results:
In general, purmorphamine and DAPT increased while cyclopamine and bexarotene decreased osteoblast differentiation and regulated the receptor expression on both Ti surfaces, with more prominent effects on Ti-Nano. The purmorphamine and DAPT combination exhibited synergistic effects on osteoblast differentiation that was more intense on Ti-Nano.
Conclusion:
Our results indicated that the Hedgehog and Notch signalling pathways drive osteoblast/Ti interactions more intensely on nanotopography. We also demonstrated that combining Hedgehog activation with Notch inhibition exhibits synergistic effects on osteoblast differentiation, especially on Ti-Nano. The uncovering of these cellular mechanisms contributes to create strategies to control the process of osseointegration based on the development of nanostructured surfaces.
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