NF-κB Activation in Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells by TNF and LPS

Post-natal human dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) represent a unique precursor population in the dental pulp, which has multipotential and can regenerate a dentin/pulp-like structure. Because the dental pulp is frequently infected by oral bacteria due to dental decay, in this study, we examined whether lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) activated the immunologic transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in DPSCs. We found that both TNF and LPS activated the I-kappa B kinase complex (IKK) in DPSCs to induce the phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα, resulting in the nuclear translocation of NF-κB. Consistently, both TNF and LPS rapidly induced the expression of the NF-κB-dependent gene interleukin-8 (IL-8). However, unlike in monocytes, we found that LPS could not induce the phosphorylation of the NF-κB active subunit p65 in DPSCs. In summary, our studies suggest that DPSCs may be involved in immune responses during pulpal infection through activating NF-κB.