BMP-2 downregulation is involved in the inhibition of cementoblast differentiation by lithium

Cementum, which is formed by cementoblast, plays an important role in periodontal regeneration. Wnt signalling and BMP-2 are involved in the regulation of cementoblast differentiation, but little is known about the effect of lithium, an agonist of Wnt signalling, on cementoblast behaviour. In this research, OCCM-30 cementoblast was employed to investigate the influence of various concentrations of lithium on proliferation and differentiation. Cell metabolic assay using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, cell staining, alizarin red staining and alkaline phosphatase assay were performed. BMP-2 expression was also compared among different groups. Results showed no significant difference in proliferation, whereas differentiation was inhibited in the presence of lithium. Given these results, along with previous reports, BMP-2 downregulation is involved in the inhibition of cementoblast differentiation by lithium.