Pluripotency of Dental Pulp Cells and Periodontal Ligament Cells Was Enhanced through Cell-Cell Communication via STAT3/Oct-4/Sox2 Signaling

Figure 3

The levels of Oct-4, Sox2, and c-Myc mRNA and protein expression in DPCs and PDLCs with coculture. The levels of Oct-4 (a, d) and Sox2 (b, e) mRNA in DPCs and PDLCs were significantly upregulated on 3 days of indirect coculture when compared with those levels in the control groups (). c-Myc (c, f) expression showed no significant change in DPCs and PDLCs with indirect coculture until day 5 (). Oct-4 (g) and Sox2 (h) showed similar patterns of expression in DPCs and PDLCs with direct coculture and were significantly upregulated on days 3 and 5 ( and ). c-Myc (i) expression showed no significant change in DPCs and PDLCs with direct coculture until day 5 (). The expression of Oct-4, Sox2, and c-Myc proteins was strongly enhanced in DPCs and PDLCs with direct coculture (n, o). (j) DPCs with direct coculture. (k) DPCs control. (l) PDLCs with direct coculture. (m) PDLCs control.