The effect of osteogenic medium on the adhesion of rat bone marrow stromal cell to the hydroxyapatite.

Objective: To investigate the adhesive properties of bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) on the hydroxyapatite (HA) particles and analyze their behavior.

Methods: The study took place in the Department of the Histology and Embryology, Celal Bayar University, Manisa and in the Department of Bioengineering, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey between 2004 and 2005. We cultured BMSC from the mature rat tibia and differentiated to the osteoblasts by osteogenic medium. The BMSCs were subcultured and were taken to the HA substrate. We measured their proliferation capacity and viability with MTT assay using the spectrophotometric method. Furthermore, we identified the osteoblast-like cells by immunohistochemical staining of osteonectin and osteocalcin and we analyzed the behavior of the cells on different sized HA particles by SEM at the end of 3 days incubation.

Results: Osteogenic medium caused the proliferation capacity of BMSC to speed up and the effects appeared earlier. We confirmed the osteoblastic differentiation by staining of most cells with osteoblastic markers. Subcultured cells were similarly adhesive to the HA particles and the osteogenic medium did not alter this behavior. They spread on the substrate similarly. Most of the cells demonstrated the cytoplasmic protrusion. Morphology of the cells did not change much with or without osteogenic medium. Different sizes of HA particles did not affect the adhesive properties of these cells except HA gel. The spreading and attachment ratios of the cells on HA gel were more than the others

Conclusion: We found that there was heterogeneity in BMSC on differentiation capacity to the osteoblast, which was a sign of a subpopulation. Adhesive cells showed similar morphology and behavior under the effect of osteogenic medium. The only difference was the spreading capacity on the HA gel where cell used this substrate more effectively for adhesion.