The origin of electrokinetic potentials in bone tissue: the organic phase.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative contributions of the organic and mineral phases of cow cortical bone to its electrokinetic response at room temperature. The technique of particle electrophoresis permitted electrokinetic (zeta) potentials to be calculated and plotted as a function of pH. Control and demineralized bone particles exhibited similar isoelectric points at pH approximately 5.1 (pH at which the zeta potential is zero), well below the isoelectric point of the bone mineral (pH approximately 8.6). In addition, the use of phosphate-containing buffers resulted in a zeta potential sign reversal of the bone mineral but had no effect on both the control and demineralized bone. These key results form the basis from which we suggest that the bone mineral lies within the organic phase (e.g., the mineral is not exposed to the fluid phase) and that the electrokinetic behavior of bone tissue is dominated by its organic ultrastructure.