Exogenous recombinant complement proteins C3a and C5a regulate osteogenic differentiation of P-PDLSCs: a process...

Concentrated growth factor (CGF) is rich in growth factors and complement proteins like C3a and C5a, showing promise for enhancing tissue regeneration. This study explores the regulatory effects of recombinant C3a/C5a proteins on the osteogenic differentiation of PDLSCs in an inflammatory microenvironment and their potential association with the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

P-PDLSCs were generated by treating PDLSCs with IL-1β (5 ng/mL) and TNF-α (10 ng/mL) for 24 h. Subsequently, P-PDLSCs were treated with C5a and C3a, followed by evaluation of cell viability and early osteogenic differentiation capacity (ALP activity). To investigate the underlying mechanism, cells were treated with the Wnt/β-catenin pathway inhibitor, XAV939, either alone or combined with C3a/C5a. Cell viability, ALP activity, and the mRNA and protein levels of AKT, Runx2, and β-catenin were measured.

Compared with the control group, exogenous recombinant C3a and C5a treatment can promote the proliferation and early osteogenic differentiation of P-PDLSCs. Additionally, through KEGG enrichment, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was identified as a key target. The pro-osteogenic effects of C3a/C5a were partially reversed by XAV939, pointing to a potential correlation with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Exogenous recombinant C3a/C5a is associated with increased early osteogenic differentiation of P-PDLSCs, a process correlated with the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, providing potential insights into regenerative strategies for periodontal tissues.