SURFACE-TOPOGRAPHY AND SERUM CONCENTRATION AFFECT THE APPEARANCE OF TENASCIN IN HUMAN GINGIVAL FIBROBLASTS IN-VITRO

Tenascin is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein which affects cell be havior such as cell migration. This study was undertaken to investigat e the time of appearance of tenascin (TN) in human gingival fibroblast s (HGF) and how it was affected by the surface topography of the titan ium substratum or by serum concentration in the medium. HGF were cultu red for 4 to 24 h and then processed for confocal immunofluorescence m icroscopy. Very few cells stained positive for TN 4 h after plating, b ut the number of TN-positive HGF gradually increased between 8 and 18 h after plating. The increase in the rate of the proportion of TN-posi tive cells on the grooved surface lagged behind that of HGF cultured o n the smooth surface. The number of TN-positive cells in medium + 15% serum was significantly greater than that of cells in 5% serum or seru m-free medium. The number of TN-positive cells was greater on the smoo th titanium surface than on the grooved titanium surface in both 15% s erum and 5% serum-containing medium, These findings suggest that TN pr oduction by fibroblasts in vitro can be modulated by factors in serum and by the surface topography of the substratum. (C) 1998 Academic Pre ss.