Abstract: Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on endothelial differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs). Methods PDLSCs were isolated and induced by bFGF (10 ng/mL), IGF-1 (2 ng/mL) and VEGF of different concentrations (10, 20, 50 ng/mL) in vitro. After 7 d, 14 d and 21 d of induction, the morphology of PDLSCs were observed by inverted microscope. The lumen forming ability of PDLSCs were measured by the tube formation assay. The expression levels of vWF and VEGFR-2 were detected by immunofluorescence. The expression of ANG2, VEGFR-2, VEGFA, IGF-1 and vimentin were detected by western blotting. Results After induction, the morphology of PDLSCs was obviously changed, tube formation assay showed PDLSCs all connected with each other to form different numbers of lumen like structures. Immunofluorescence results showed positive for vWF and VEGFR-2, western blotting results showed ANG2, VEGFR-2, VEGFA and IGF-1 were positively expressed, while vimentin was negatively expressed, and the high-concentration VEGF group was most obvious at days 14 d and 21 d post-induction. Conclusion?PDLSCs possessed the potential for differentiation into endothelia like cells, and all results suggested that 50 ng/mL VEGF was an optimum induction concentration and the optimum duration of induction were 14 d and 21 d.

Key words: [keywords] periodontal ligament stem cells, vascular endothelial growth factor, vascular endothelial cells, induced differentiation.