Role-play in Endodontic Teaching: a Case Study.

Objective: To investigate the role of the application of role-play in endodontic study in improving the communication skills of Chinese dental undergraduates prior to their direct interactions with patients at the Fourth Military Medical University’s School of Stomatology, China. Methods: Students were recruited from the 5-year bachelor’s programme (n = 36) and randomly divided into six groups, and from the 8-year DDS programme (n = 10) and randomly divided into two groups to participate in the role-play training. Cases selected randomly from the case pool were distributed to the groups.

[Study of cbfalpha1 on the expression of extracellular matrix proteins in dental papilla cells induced by BMP-2 in vitro].

Purpose: To evaluate the function of cbfalpha1 on BMP-2 signaling to extracellular matrix proteins in dental papilla cells in vitro.

Methods: RT-PCR and Western blot were performed to detect the expression of ALP, OC, ON, OPN, BSP, DMP-1 and DSPP in cultured dental papilla cells induced by 200ng/mL BMP-2 and/or down-regulated by cbfalpha1 antisense technology, the results were analysed with SPSS 11.0 software package.

[Generation of transgenic mouse of dentin sialoprotein and transgene expression analysis].

Purpose: To generate the transgenic mouse model of DSP and perform transgene expression analysis by RT-PCR.

Methods: Plasmid pcDNA3.1-CX was constructed by substituting promoter cbeta-actin for CMV promoter of pcDNA3.

[Generation of dspp-LacZ transgenic mouse founders].

Purpose: To establish a transgenic mouse founders in which the expression of LacZ was directed by a dentin sialophosphoprotein-specific promoter.

Methods: The DSPP-specific promoter was obtained by PCR and confirmed by sequencing, and the transgenic plasmid, pTN-DPM-LacZ, was constructed by subcloning the DSPP-specific promoter and LacZ-encoding sequence into one vector. The linearized transgenic plasmid was microinjected into the male pronucleus of the zygotes, and the microinjected zygotes were implanted to recipient pseudopregnant mice.