Osteocalcin expression in cells : recent research in dentistry

Abstract

Alveolar bone is one of the most active areas of bone remodeling in the body. Bone remodeling is one of the hot topics of research in dentistry because teeth are embedded in bone. Progressive loss of alveolar bone in some pathological condition may induce the exfoliation of teeth, which is related to the imbalance of bone metabolism locally and systemically. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how alveolar bone remodeling can be regulated, which is not only important for dentistry but also for investigating bone metabolism of the whole body. Osteocalcin is secreted solely by osteoblasts and thought to play a role in the body's metabolic regulation and is pro-osteoblastic, or bone-building, by nature [1]. As osteocalcin is produced by osteoblasts, it is often used as a marker for the bone formation process. The present chapter reviewed three recently investigated factors which enhance the expression of osteocalcin (OCN) in bone remodeling, i.e. mechanical stress, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Medicinal Herb Salvia Miltiorrhiza (SM).