The resorption of biological and non-biological substrates by cultured avian and mammalian osteoclasts.

Mammalian and avian osteoclasts were isolated mechanically from long bones, seeded on to either untreated, unmineralized, anorganic or surface-demineralized mammalian dental tissues, and cultured for 1-6 h or up to 9 days in medium with added serum (10% heat-inactivated FCS). All substrates showed Howship's resorption lacunae which varied in detail with the composition and structural organization of the tissue. There was no species or substrate specificity. Osteoclasts also adhered, spread, migrated and resorbed in the absence of serum. In addition, osteoclasts resorbed avian egg shell and mollusc shell containing calcite and aragonite. When given the opportunity, osteoclasts are thus biochemically competent to resorb a much wider range of substrates than they usually do in vivo. Access to the substrate and attraction or deliverance of osteoclast precursors to it must be curtailing factors in in vivo resorption.