An Immunohistochemical Study Of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor In Human Dental Pulp

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a glycoprotein that has the capability to increase vascular proliferation and permeability. VEGF has been found to be expressed in several different types of tumors, and it may contribute to the progression of malignant tumors. During the development of embryo, VEGF can regulate the growth of normal tissue, organ and even the whole embryo by hastening the growth of vessel. In addition, VEGF can improve local blood supply of ischemic disease. It also can hasten wound to heal and it is an anti-inflammatory factor. Recent study found that human dentine matrix and dental pulp could release many growth factors including little VEGF. Its secreting cells were endothelial lining cells, odontoblast-like cells, pulp fibroblasts and undifferentiated pulp cells. It shows that VEGF play a role in the physiological process of normal pulp. The dentine-pulp complex produces many growth factors which mediate the cellular responses to injury. Local angiogenesis at the injury site appears to be critical for successful pulpal repair. Angiogenesis is the formation of new capillary structures from pre-existing vasculature. The formation of blood vessels is a complex, multistep process that requires a series of cellular events joining. Vascular endothelial growth factor is a potent inducer of angiogenesis, vascular permeability and edema. It is the strongest vascular permeability inducer and its activity is 50000 times stronger than that of histamine. In addition, VEGF can strongly induce human pulp cells' chemotaxis, promote the proliferation, and/or differentiation of human dental pulp cells. Thus VEGF may be an influential factor on dental pulp restoration after injury. There is few report about VEGF expressing and distributing in human pulp nor its role in the pulp...