Gingival fibroblasts are major cellular component of gingiva. However, the molecular mechanisms of senescence of human gingival fibroblasts are unknown. Human fibroblasts undergo replicative senescence in vitro after a limited number of population doublings. A reduced rate of proliferation is a prominent phenomenon observed in senescent fibroblasts. This phenomenon is happened with cell cycle arrest that was controled by cell cycle regulatory proteins. The purpose of present study was to investigate the effect of replicative senescence on cell cycle progression and to find out its molecular mechanisms in human gingival fibroblasts. Replicative senescence of gingival fibroblasts were induced by subsequent cultures that were repeated up to 18 passage. In the present study, I examined change of cell proliferation, cell activity, cell viability and cell cycle progression during the replicative process. Also, I examined expression of cell cycle regulatory proteins which was estimated by western blot analysis.

Cell proliferation, cell activity and cell viability of gingival fibroblasts were notably decreased with increase of population doubling level(PDL). S phase was decreased and G1 phase was increased with increase of PDL. Western blot analysis showed that levels of p16, p21 and p53 of senescent gingival fibroblasts(PDL41, PDL58) were higher than young fibroblasts(PDL27) and cdk4 were lower than young fibroblasts(PDL27).

In conclusion, these results suggest that proliferative function of human gingival fibroblasts may be decreased by replicative senescence and its molecular mechanisms may be activatied with p16, p21, p53 and pRB, and repressed wtih cdk4.