Regulation and localization of colony-stimulating factor-1 mRNA in cultured rat dental follicle cells.

Cultured dental follicle cells from rat mandibular molars transcribe colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) mRNA as determined by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. In turn, the CSF-1 mRNA appears to be translated, as seen by immunoperoxidase staining. Interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) stimulates increased transcription of the CSF-1 gene in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, CSF-1 itself has an autocrine effect on transcription of the CSF-1 gene. Because others have shown that in vivo injection of CSF-1 accelerates tooth eruption and because the dental follicle is required for eruption to occur, this study demonstrates the possible relation between CSF-1 and the follicle; namely, the source of CSF-1 for tooth eruption might be the dental follicle. In turn, regulation of gene expression for CSF-1 by IL-1 alpha and CSF-1 may play a part in signalling the onset of tooth eruption.