Astragaloside I Promotes the Osteogenesis and Osteogenic Differentiation of Periodontal Ligament Stem Cells Through Wingless-Related Integration Site/β-Catenin Pathway

Periodontitis is an infection-driven inflammatory disease with a complex etiology that is associated with spontaneous tooth loosening. The remediation of periodontitis requires the activation of osteogenesis and regeneration of the lost tissue that is currently not possible through existing clinical practice. The present study has examined the effects of Astragaloside I on the osteogenesis and osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells. The results show increased cell viability and alkaline phosphatase activity in the periodontal ligament stem cells by Astragaloside I treatment. Astragaloside I stimulated the expression of ALP, RUNX2, β-catenin, and OPN in PDLSCs suggesting that Astragaloside I enhances osteoblastic differentiation by modulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Further support for involvement of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway comes from the reversal of Astragaloside I stimulation by inhibition of this pathway by a specific inhibitor. In summary the results presented here suggest Astragaloside I as a promising candidate drug for bone remodeling and periodontal tissue engineering.