Colture di osteoblasti umani da donatori adulti.

We have obtained primary cultures of cells outgrowing from long bones or vertebrae from normal human donors between age 20 and 90 years. These cultured have been kept up to 15 passages before onset of senescence and loss of proliferative capability. We show the characterization of the cells as osteoblasts with histochemical, biochemical and biosynthetic methods to evidence collagen type I and v, osteonectin, osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase and in vitro mineralization. We have attempted to obtain cultures from osteoporotic donors, but failed. We here report that addition to the culture medium of one of following substances did not prove effective in stimulating growth in vitro: Ca2+, vitamin K, beta estradiol, calcitonin, hemin, phorbol myristate acetate, 5-azacytosine, nor was effective medium conditioned by normal bone chips or osteoblasts. We also attempted to detect if medium conditioned from osteoporotic chips could prevent growth of normal osteoblasts and no inhibitory action was detected on cell proliferation over 3 days