The influence of calcium phosphate biomaterials on human bone cell activities. An in vitro approach.

An in vitro method is described to assess the influence of synthetic calcium phosphate powders on osteoblast activities. Human osteoblast cell cultures were established from iliac crest. MC3T3-E1, an established osteogenic cell line, was employed as a control. Scanning and transmission electron microscopic observations clearly demonstrated the internalization of particles of calcium phosphate by the two osteoblast cell populations. As a consequence to the phagocytotic process, RNA transcription and protein synthesis were stimulated, as indicated by the measurements of labeled uridine, leucine and proline uptakes. From these data, it is proposed that such an in vitro model, using one of the specific cell types involved in the tissue responses to implants, could be useful to assess the biological response at the cell-biomaterial interaction.