Yes-associated protein-mediated melatonin regulates the function of periodontal ligament stem cells under oxidative stress conditions

Figure 6 Yes-associated protein mediated melatonin to enhance stemness and reduce senescence in hydrogen peroxide-induced periodontal ligament stem cells. A: Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) reduced the mRNA expression level of Yes-associated protein (YAP) in periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs); B: H₂O₂ reduced the protein expression level of YAP in PDLSCs; C: Melatonin (MT) increased the protein expression level of YAP in H₂O₂-induced PDLSCs; D: Verteporfin reduced the protein expression level of YAP in MT-increased PDLSCs; E: Verteporfin decreased the protein expression levels of stemness-related proteins C-MYC, OCT-4 and NANOG in MT-increased PDLSCs; F: Alkaline phosphatase staining and alkaline phosphatase activity showed that verteporfin reduced the osteogenic differentiation ability in MT-increased PDLSCs; G: Alizarin Red staining and quantitative analysis showed that verteporfin reduced the osteogenic differentiation ability in MT-increased PDLSCs; H: Senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining indicated verteporfin increased senescence-associated β-galactosidase-positive cells in MT-increased PDLSCs; I: Western blot results showed that verteporfin decreased the expression of p-RB but increased the expression of p21 in MT-treated PDLSCs. Data are presented as mean ± SD, n = 3. ^aP < 0.05; ^bP < 0.01; ^cP < 0.001; ^dP < 0.0001. H₂O₂: Hydrogen peroxide; MT: Melatonin; YAP: Yes-associated protein; VP: Verteporfin; ALP: Alkaline phosphatase; ARS: Alizarin Red staining.