Effect of radiotherapy on the differentiation and osteogenic activity of mesenchymal stem cells on dental implants

Objective: to evaluate the differentiation and gene expression of transcripts related to osteogenesis in a primary culture of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) derived from rat femurs submitted to radiotherapy and the installation of pure titanium implants. Material and Methods: fifty-four rats received titanium implants in both femurs and were divided into three groups: Control: implant surgery (C); Implant + immediate irradiation (IrI), and Implant + late irradiation (IrL). Euthanasia occurred 3, 14, and 49 days after surgery. The bone marrow MSCs from the femurs were isolated and cultivated. The cell viability, total protein content, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and the formation of mineralization nodules and cellular genotoxicity were analyzed. The gene expression of Alkaline Phosphatase (phoA), Collagen 1 (COL1), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), Osterix (OSX), Osteopontin (OPN), Integrin β1 (ITGB1 ), Bone Sialoprotein (BSP), Osteonectin (SPARC), Osteocalcin (Bglap), Transforming Growth Factor β-type (TGF-β), Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Apolipoprotein E (APOE) and Prostaglandin E2 synthase (PGE2 ) were evaluated by qRT-PCR. Results: ionizing radiation suppresses the gene expression of essential transcripts for bone regeneration, as well as cellular viability, as observed in the IrI and IrL groups. Conclusion: although this can lead to the loss of osseointegration and failure of the implant, the MSCs showed more activity at 49 days than at 3 and 14 days.