AbstractObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate whether in vitro stimulation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) by tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) would induce secretion of EphB2/ephrin‐B1 signalling.Materials and methodsDental pulp stem cells isolated from human dental pulp were treated with TNF‐α (5–100 ng/ml) over 2–48 h. EphB2/ephrin‐B1 mRNA and protein levels were measured by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and western blot analysis respectively. Additionally, DPSCs were pre‐incubated with TNF‐α receptor neutralizing antibodies or infected with nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐ĸB) inhibitor, p38 MAPK inhibitor, Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor and MEK inhibitor before TNF‐α treatment. Results were analysed by one‐way ANOVA.ResultsTumour necrosis factor alpha increased EphB2 mRNA expression in DPSCs at concentrations up to 20 ng/ml and ephrin‐B1 at concentrations up to 40 ng/ml (P < 0.05). Its mRNA expression reached maximum at 24 h when treated with TNF‐α at 20 ng/ml (P < 0.05). EphB2/ephrin‐B1 protein expression levels were high at 16 and 24 h as shown by western blotting. Neutralizing antibodies for TNFR1/2 receptors down‐regulated EphB2/ephrin‐B1 mRNA expression (P < 0.05) and ephrin‐B1 protein expression, but not EphB2 protein expression. JNK‐inhibitor inhibited EphB2 mRNA expression only (P < 0.05).ConclusionsEphB2/ephrin‐B1 were invoked in DPSCs with TNF‐α treatment via the JNK‐dependent pathway, but not NF‐ĸB, p38 MAPK or MEK signalling.