Type III collagen is essential for growth acceleration of human osteoblastic cells by ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, a long-acting vitamin C derivative.

Collagen has been reported to be essential for the proliferation of various kinds of cells including human osteoblastic cells [Takamizawa, S., Maehata, Y., Imai, K.

Both direct and collagen-mediated signals are required for active vitamin D3-elicited differentiation of human osteoblastic cells: roles of osterix, an osteoblast-related transcription factor.

In order to investigate the mechanisms by which 1alpha,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 (VD3) stimulates the differentiation of human osteoblasts, we cultured MG-63, which is a human osteoblastic cell line, in the presence or absence of VD3 and/or L-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (Asc 2-P), a long-acting vitamin C derivative. The cell growth rate was decreased by the presence of VD3 in the culture medium. Type I collagen synthesis and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, which are markers of early stage osteoblast differentiation, were stimulated by the presence of VD3 as well as by that of Asc 2-P.

Effects of ascorbic acid and ascorbic acid 2-phosphate, a long-acting vitamin C derivative, on the proliferation and differentiation of human osteoblast-like cells.

In order to investigate the effect of ascorbic acid (AsA) and ascorbic acid 2-phosphate (Asc 2-P), a long-acting vitamin C derivative, on the growth and differentiation of human osteoblast-like cells, we supplemented the culture medium of MG-63 cells with various concentrations (0.25 to 1 mM) of these factors. Asc 2-P significantly stimulated nascent cell growth at all concentrations in the presence of fetal bovine serum (FBS).