The effect of sintered β-dicalcium pyrophosphate particle size on newborn wistar rat osteoblasts

During recent years, sintered dicalcium phosphate (SDCP) has been shown to be an effective artificial bone filler for repairing bone defects. The goal of this study was to elucidate the effect of SDCP particle size on osteoblasts. Osteoblasts were mixed and cultured with various sized SDCP particles (0.5-3.0, 37-63, 177-250, and 420-841 μm) for 1 h, 3 h, 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days and then analyzed. The results show that the adding of smaller sized SDCP particles (0.5-3.0 and 37-63 μm) into osteoblast culture can significantly affect the cell counts of osteoblasts. The secretion of transforming growth factor-β1, alkaline phosphatase, and prostaglandin E₂ in culture medium increased significantly. The changes were most significant and persisted longer in smaller particle groups. Small sintered dicalcium phosphate particles can inhibit the proliferation of the osteoblasts. The inhibitory effects of the smaller sized SDCP particles on the osteoblasts were mediated by the promotion of osteoblast differentiation and the increased synthesis of prostaglandin E₂.