[Culture of osteoblasts by serial explant culture and comparison of their characteristics].

Objective: To Investigate a simple, economical and efficient method of primary osteoblast culture and compare their characteristics.

Methods: Primary osteoblasts of 1 st-4 th series explant culture from calvarial bones of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats, were collected and osteoblasts shape, mitosis, proliferation, ALP activity and immunohistological expression of osteocalcin and BMP-2 observed.

Results: No difference was found in cell shape, spread, confluence, ALP activity as well as immunohistological stain of osteocalcin and BMP-2 of the osteoblasts, which had been harvested from the 1 st-4 th series explant cultures of Sprague-Dawley rats.

Conclusion: Series explant culture can harvest the same kind of osteoblasts as the explant culture, and more osteoblasts can be obtained at a single time. It saves money and time and is easy to manipulate.