Effect of Luteolin and Apigenin on the Expression of Oct-4, Sox2, and c-Myc in Dental Pulp Cells with In Vitro Culture

Figure 2

Effect of luteolin and apigenin on cell proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, cell senescence, and telomerase activity of DPCs. The cell cycle of DPCs with luteolin or apigenin induction was detected by fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) ((A1)–(A6)). The percentage of propidium iodinate (PI) = (S + G2/M)% and apoptosis of DPCs was significantly upregulated with luteolin or apigenin treatment compared with control group ((B2), (B3); , ), whereas CCK8 revealed that cell proliferation rate was significantly restrained in DPCs with luteolin or apigenin treatment ((B1); , ). The result of SA-b-gal revealed that DPCs at passage 3 ((C1)–(C3)) with luteolin (C2)/apigenin (C3) induction and the control group (C1) did not show any obvious blue staining (100), whereas DPCs at passage 7 ((C4)–(C6)) without induction (control group (C4)) showed intense blue color. DPCs at passage 7 with luteolin (C5) or apigenin (C6) induction revealed weak blue staining, not as intense as the control group at passage 7 ((C4), ×100). The telomerase activity of DPCs at passage 3 with/without luteolin or apigenin induction showed no significant difference ((C7), ), albeit DPCs at passage 7 with luteolin or apigenin induction revealed significantly higher telomerase activity than the control group at passage 7 .

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