Figure 4.

The ability of proliferation and osteogenic differentiation decreased in P10 human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). The rate of proliferation between P3 hPDLSCs and P10 hPDLSCs was compared by MTS assay (A). The expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and stemness‐related genes (Sox2, Oct4 and c‐Myc) between P3 hPDLSCs and P10 hPDLSCs was tested by RT‐PCR. The mRNA expression levels were normalized to GAPDH mRNA (B). The ability of osteogenic differentiation between P3 hPDLSCs and P10 hPDLSCs was compared by Alizarin red staining and quantification (C). Data are shown as the mean ± SDs of 3 separate experiments. *P<.05; **P<.01