Engineering the periodontal ligament in hyaluronan-gelatin-type I collagen constructs: upregulation of apoptosis and alterations in gene expression by cyclic compressive strain.

To engineer constructs of the periodontal ligament (PDL), human PDL cells were incorporated into a matrix of hyaluronan, gelatin, and type I collagen (COLI) in sample holders (13x1 mm) of six-well Biopress culture plates. The loading dynamics of the PDL were mimicked by applying a cyclic compressive strain of 33.4 kPa (340.6 gm/cm(2)) to the constructs for 1.0 s every 60 s, for 6, 12, and 24 h in a Flexercell FX-4000C Strain Unit. Compression significantly increased the number of nonviable cells and increased the expression of several apoptosis-related genes, including initiator and executioner caspases. Of the 15 extracellular matrix genes screened, most were upregulated at some point after 6-12 h deformation, but all were downregulated at 24 h, except for MMPs1-3 and CTGF. In culture supernatants, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) protein levels were upregulated at 24 h; receptor activator of nuclear kappa factor B (RANKL), osteoprotegerin (OPG) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) were unchanged; and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) not detected. The low modulus of elasticity of the constructs was a disadvantage-future mechanobiology studies and tissue engineering applications will require constructs with much higher stiffness. Since the major structural protein of the PDL is COLI, a more rational approach would be to permeabilize preformed COLI scaffolds with PDL-populated matrices.