Osteoblasts from Human Alveolar Bone: A Model for Evaluating Biomaterials

Cells derived from alveolar bone may be an important source of osteoprogenitor cells required for in vitro tests of biocompatibility of implant dental materials. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the development of osteoblast phenotype in cells derived from human alveolar bone and the role of dexamethazone (Dex) in this cell culture system. Methods: Cells from human alveolar bone were obtained by enzymatic digestion. These cells were cultured in medium with or without Dex 10^-7 M. After this, first passage was cultured in medium always supplemented with Dex 10^-7 M. At 7, 14, and 21 days, cell proliferation, cell viability, collagen content, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were evaluated. Bone-like nodule formation was evaluated at 21 days. Data were compared by ANOVA. Results: Cell number (P=0.890), viability(P=0.26), and collagen content(P=0.09) were not affected by Dex. ALP activity (P=0.0001) and bone-like nodule formation (P=0.001) were greater in cultures under continuous treatment with Dex. Conclusion: This work presents a trustworthy method for isolation, culturing and differentiating osteoblasts from human alveolar bone cells. Moreover, this is the first study to show that Dex plays an important role in osteoblast differentiation of these cells. This culture system can be useful for conducting in vitro investigations in dental implant research because it is more related to oral environment.