Abstract: PURPOSE: To investigate the expression and localization of LIM mineralization protein 1(LMP-1) during rat pulp injury and reparation. METHODS: Dental pulp injury models were established in maxillary first molars on one side of 12 Wistar rats, the isonym healthy teeth on the opposite side were used as the controls. Immunohistochemistry technique was used to observe the expression of LMP-1 at 1, 3 and 7 day after pulp injury. The results of staining were analyzed by Image-Pro Plus 6.0 and SPSS 17.0 software package. RESULTS: LMP-1 was not detected in normal rat dental pulp. Positive staining of LMP-1 was found in odontoblasts and some dental pulp cells at 1 day after pulp injury. The expression of LMP-1 was converged at cell proliferation zone under the injury site at 3 and 7 day after injury. CONCLUSIONS: LMP-1 might play a role in the dental pulp cell proliferation and differentiation and reparative dentin formation during pulp injury and reparation.

Key words: LIM mineralization protein 1, Dental pulp injury, Temporal and spacial expression