Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40106315›Full record

ArticleInternational endodontic journal2025

Activin a regulates vascular formation and stabilization in direct coculture of dental pulp stem cells and endothelial cells.

Jialin Zhong, Yuchen Zhang, Shulan Lin, Jun Kang, Mingxin Hu, Junqing Liu, Ying Chen, Qianzhou Jiang, Chengfei Zhang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International endodontic journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Angiogenic regulation of dental pulp stem cells.Frontiers in dental medicine · 2025
    Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Jialin ZhongRestorative Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Yuchen ZhangRestorative Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Shulan LinRestorative Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Jun KangRestorative Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Mingxin HuRestorative Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Junqing LiuRestorative Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Ying ChenRestorative Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Qianzhou JiangDepartment of Endodontics, Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Oral Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Research of Oral Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.ORCID 0000-0003-2631-7527
Chengfei ZhangRestorative Dental Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.ORCID 0000-0003-3572-9830

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China 82170938Research Grants Council General Research Fund 17105422Research Grants Council General Research Fund 17124821Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Committee JCYJ20210324135806017
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimEstablishing functional circulation on time is crucial to dental pulp tissue regeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could act as mural cells to stabilize newly formed blood vessels, accelerating anastomosis. Our preliminary study found that direct coculture of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) significantly enhanced Activin A secretion. This study aimed to disclose the dynamic patterns of Activin A expression and its regulation on vascular formation and stabilization. METHODOLOGY: DPSCs and HUVECs were cocultured directly at a ratio of 1:1 for 3 and 6 days. Activin A and Follistatin expression were evaluated by qRT-PCR and ELISA. HUVECs were exposed to 100 ng/mL Activin A or the conditioned medium (CM) generated from DPSC monoculture and DPSC-HUVEC coculture, respectively. HUVEC proliferation, migration, tube formation and angiogenic sprouting were assessed. In parallel, membrane-bound vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (mVEGFR1 and mVEGFR2) and soluble VEGFR1 (sVEGFR1) were analysed at days 3 and 6.

resultsActivin A expression and secretion were elevated time-dependently during DPSC-HUVEC coculture. Follistatin expression decreased in DPSC-HUVEC coculture while the ratio of Activin A/Follinstain increased significantly. Activin A treatment did not promote DPSC towards smooth muscle cell (SMC)-specific differentiation, while Activin A and DPSC+HUVEC-CM suppressed HUVEC proliferation, migration, tube formation and sprouting. Activin A and DPSC+HUVEC-CM treatment markedly increased mVEGFR1 expression and sVEGFR1 secretion, suppressing HUVEC vascular formation. Activin A IgG partially reversed the effects of DPSC+HUVEC-CM on HUVECs by decreasing VEGFR1 expression and increasing vessel formation. Activin A pretreatment downregulated VEGF-triggered VEGFR2 phosphorylation of HUVECs. INHBA knockdown DPSCs disrupted the stabilization of the preformed HUVEC vascular tube network.

conclusionDPSC-HUVEC direct coculture upregulates Activin A secretion, interrupting VEGF receptors' balance in HUVECs to suppress HUVEC angiogenic sprouting and enhance vascular stabilization. These findings provide novel insights into the paracrine interactions on vascular stabilization of DPSC-HUVEC direct coculture.

Indexed as

ActivinsDental PulpHuman Umbilical Vein Endothelial CellsMesenchymal Stem CellsNeovascularization, PhysiologicStem CellsCell MovementCell ProliferationCells, CulturedCoculture TechniquesEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent AssayFollistatinHumansactivin AActivinsFollistatinActivin Aangiogenesisdental pulp stem cellsendothelial cellsvascular endothelial growth factor receptorsvascular stabilization

Identifiers

PMID40106315
PMCPMC12160993

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.