Natural polysaccharides are attractive compounds with which to build scaffolds for bone and cartilage tissue engineering. Here we tested two non-standard ones, HE800 and GY785, for the two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) culture of osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) and chondrocytes (C28/I2). These two glycosaminoglycan-like marine exopolysaccharides were incorporated into an injectable silyl...

The use of dental metal alloys in the daily clinic makes it necessary to evaluate the cytotoxicity of eluted metal components against oral cells. However, the cytotoxic mechanism and the type of cell death induced by dental metals in osteoblasts have not been well characterized. This study investigated the cytotoxicity of seven metals against the mouse osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1. alpha-MEM...

BACKGROUND Estrogens exert preferable effects on bone metabolism through two estrogen receptors (ERs), ER1 and ER2, which activate the transcription of a set of genes as ligand-dependent transcription factors. Thus, growth factors and hormones which modulate ER expression in the bone, if any, may possibly modulate the effect of estrogens on bone metabolism. However, research as to which of thes...

Osteoblast differentiation plays an essential role in bone integrity. Isoflavones and some flavonoids are reported to have osteogenic activity and potentially possess the ability to treat osteoporosis. However, limited information concerning the osteogenic characteristics of hydroxyflavones is available. This study investigates the effects of various hydroxyflavones on osteoblast differentiatio...

Poncirus trifoliata fruit (PTF) affects the digestive and cardiovascular systems, and kidney function. The authors studied the effects of ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract of PTF on the activities of osteoblasts and in an animal model. The main compounds of the EtOAc extract, naringin and poncirin have been confi rmed by HPLC and NMR analysis. Effects of osteoblastic differentiation were mea-sured ...

BACKGROUND Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by decreased bone strength, decreased bone mass, and bone deterioration. Oxidative damage is an important contributor to functional changes in the development of osteoporosis. Here we found that porcine placenta hydrolysates (PPHs) protect MC3T3-E1 osteoblastic cells against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative damage. METHODS In vitro ...

OBJECTIVES The present study was aimed to evaluate the time-mannered and dose-dependent effects of 5α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT) on the proliferation and differentiation of bone forming cells using MC3T3-E1 cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cell proliferation was analyzed using MTS and phase contrast microscopic assays. Osteogenic differentiation was assessed through a series of in vitro experim...

Silicon carbide (SiC), a compound of silicon and carbon, with chemical formula SiC, the beta modification ( β-SiC), with a zinc blende crystal structure (similar to diamond), is formed at temperature below 1700°C. β-SiC will be the most suitable ceramic material for the future hard tissue replacement, such as bone and tooth. The in vitro cytotoxicity of β-SiC nanowires was investigated for the ...

Periostin is an extracellular matrix protein highly expressed in collagen-rich tissues subjected to continuous mechanical stress. Functionally, periostin is involved in tissue remodeling and its altered function is associated to numerous pathological processes. In orthodontics, periostin plays key roles in the maintenance of dental tissues and it is mainly expressed in those areas where tension...