EFFECTS OF BETA MERCAPTOETHANOL ON THE PROLIFERATION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF HUMAN OSTEOPROGENITOR CELLS

✍ Scribed by KENTARO INUI; RICHARD O.C OREFFO; JAMES T TRIFFITT

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 202 KB
• Volume: 21
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1065-6995
• DOI: 10.1006/cbir.1997.0165

✦ Synopsis

Antioxidants are known to influence metabolism and promote cell survival in a number of cell culture systems. However, their effects on the modulation of bone cell differentiation in vitro are not clearly defined. In the present studies we have investigated the effects of -mercaptoethanol ( ME) and ascorbate alone and in combination on human osteoprogenitors derived from bone marrow fibroblasts. In primary marrow cultures, ME stimulated colony formation (2-fold), alkaline phosphatase activity (3.5-fold) and, increased DNA synthesis (8-fold) after 21 days. Cell proliferation was increased significantly by ME during the first 4 days of a 10-day culture period, indicating stimulation of marrow osteoprogenitor proliferation. Ascorbate did not significantly augment the effects of ME in primary cultures or long-term cultures of passaged bone marrow fibroblasts. These findings indicate a potential beneficial role for ME addition for the optimal maintenance of colony formation, cell proliferation and differentiation of marrow osteoprogenitor cells in primary human bone marrow fibroblast cultures.