Effects of Laddec on the formation of calcified bone matrix in rat calvariae cells culture.

Osteoblasts from 21 day-old fetal rats calvaria were isolated using a collagenase digestion procedure. Cells were cultured in the presence of Laddec (a highly purified bovine xenograft) and Bio-Oss (natural bone mineral). Optical microscopic observations showed that osteoblasts attached on the plastic culture dishes and formed close contact with biomaterial particles. By day 5, the osteoblasts formed a confluent monolayer. A cytozymatic method showed intense alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining around and between the substrate granules of the two materials. By day 14, inverted phase microscopic observations showed that osteoblasts formed bone nodules around and between substrate particles. In addition, at this time, the Von Kossa staining was positive. Using a conventional assay, ALP specific activity was higher in the presence of Laddec than in the presence of Bio-Oss. A quantitative morphological method using image analysis showed that the proportion of mineralized bone formed around biomaterial particles in relation to total bone was increased with Laddec (15% more than with Bio-Oss). Ultrastructural observations by TEM showed the presence of an electron dense collagen-free layer at the biomaterial/bone interface and a collagenous matrix deposited at the periphery, indicating the bioactivity of the biomaterials. These results indicated that Laddec increased the expression of ALP in osteoblast cultures and facilitated the formation of multiple cell layers, providing a culture environment suitable for mineralization.