Biomedical subjects

S Berland

Publications and source records attributed to S Berland.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Bone reactions to nacre injected percutaneously into the vertebrae of sheep.

We have studied the osteogenic effects of nacre (mother of pearl) placed in experimental cavities prepared in the lumbar vertebrae of sheep. Some of cavities were filled with nacre, some with PMMA, and some were left empty. The vertebrae were removed 1, 8, 12 weeks after surgery, and assessed histologically and morphometrically. The nacre particles in the bone cavity and the surrounding intertrabecular spaces gradually dissolved beginning at 8 weeks after surgery. There were layers of newly formed bone, both woven and lamellar, in various stages of maturation in contact with or adjacent to the dissolving nacre. Quantitative assessment of the activation of bone formation adjacent to the cavities filled with nacre indicated significant activation of bone formation, which continued until week 12. There was also increased mineralization of the host bone at this time. There was no new bone formation in the empty cavities, or in those filled with PMMA. PMMA also caused necrosis of surrounding bone cells with a change in bone architecture and significant reductions in bone formation and mineralization. This study demonstrates that nacre stimulates bone-forming cells in vertebrae and appears to result in new bone formation.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

PubMed2000

Stimulation of rat cutaneous fibroblasts and their synthetic activity by implants of powdered nacre (mother of pearl).

The components of the cutaneous envelope, the epidermis and the dermis, change in response to aging or environmental stress factors. The fibroblasts involved in maintaining skin tone are the main targets. Nacre, mother of pearl, from Pinctada maxima, which can stimulate and regulate bone forming cells, was implanted in the dermis of rats to test its action on the skin fibroblasts. This report describes the effect of nacre on the skin fibroblast recruitment and physiological activity. It resulted in enhanced extracellular matrix synthesis and the production of components implicated in cell to cell adhesion and communication (such as decorine) and in tissue regeneration (type I and type III collagens). The nacre implant produced a well vascularized tissue. The physiological conditions in the region around the implant are thus those required for the positive interactions between the dermis and epidermis which are fundamental for the physiological function of the skin.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Interface between bone and nacre implants in sheep.

We have investigated the interface between bone and chronic implants of nacre in sheep. There was no foreign body reaction over the period of 10 months and the implants were not broken down. Light microscopy indicated activity within an osteoprogenitor cellular layer lining the implant, resulting in a complete sequence of new bone formation. Nacre appeared to bind directly to newly formed bone without any intervening fibrous tissue. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive photon X-microanalysis showed calcium and phosphate ions lining the nacre within the osteoprogenitor tissue. These studies show a dynamic activity of the bone/nacre interface, leading to continuity between the nacre and the bone.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

A model for evaluating injectable bone replacements in the vertebrae of sheep: radiological and histological study.

We developed a bone-defect model in the vertebrae of sheep. Forty four cavities were prepared in the upper lumbar vertebrae of 11 sheep using a biopsy trocar via a posterior-lateral extracanal percutaneous route and the location was monitored by radiology with a brilliance amplifier. The cavities were 3 mm in diameter. The histological study was performed on 15 cavities which were left empty to give reference data for the model. Histological and histomorphometry results showed that 67% of the surface area of the empty cavities was still empty 3 months after their preparation. Thus, the natural regenerative capacity of vertebral trabecular bone is limited. We performed preliminary percutaneous injections of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and nacre powder to assess whether this bone-defect model would be suitable for further studies on bone repair. Cavities were successfully filled with nacre powder (21 cavities) or PMMA (8 cavities) while monitoring the process by interventional radiology. The experimental sheep vertebrae defect system is reproducible and appears to be a suitable model for testing injectable biomaterials for treating bone loss.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Stimulation of bone marrow cells and bone formation by nacre: in vivo and in vitro studies.

There is frequently a loss of vertebral bone due to disease or aging. Nacre (mother of pearl from the oyster Pinctada maxima) stimulates bone cell differentiation and bone formation in vitro and in vivo. Experimental bone defects were prepared in the vertebrae of sheep and used to test the suitability of nacre as an injectable osteogenic biomaterial for treating vertebral bone loss. Twenty-one cavities were prepared in the first four upper lumbar vertebrae of 11 sheep and filled with nacre powder. The lumbar vertebrae were removed after 1 to 12 weeks, embedded undecalcified in methacrylate, and processed for histological studies. The nacre slowly dissolved and the experimental cavities contained a large active cell population. By 12 weeks, the experimental cavity was occupied by newly matured bone trabeculae in contact with or adjacent to the dissolving nacre. The functional new bone trabeculae were covered with osteoid lined with osteoblasts, indicating continuing bone formation. The in vitro study on rat bone marrow explants cultured with a water-soluble extract of the nacre organic matrix also resulted in the stimulation of osteogenic bone marrow cells with enhanced alkaline phosphatase activity. Thus, both the in vivo and in vitro findings suggest that nacre contains one or more signal molecules capable of activating osteogenic bone marrow cells.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

PubMed1997

Reconstruction of human maxillary defects with nacre powder: histological evidence for bone regeneration.

The defective areas in the premolar-molar region of maxillary alveolar bone of eight patients were reconstructed using powdered nacre from the giant oyster Pinctada maxima. Histological, microradiographic and polarized light studies of drill biopsies taken 6 months postoperatively showed that nacre was tightly bound to newly-formed bone. The nacre was gradually and centripetally biodissolved and replaced with immature and then mature lamellar bone. These results are in agreement with our previous experimental in vitro data indicating that nacre has good osteogenic properties.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Demonstration of the capacity of nacre to induce bone formation by human osteoblasts maintained in vitro.

Nacre implanted in vivo in bone is osteogenic suggesting that it may possess factor(s) which stimulate bone formation. The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that nacre can induce mineralization by human osteoblasts in vitro. Nacre chips were placed on a layer of first passage human osteoblasts. None of the chemical inducers generally required to obtain bone formation in vitro was added to the cultures. Osteoblasts proliferated and were clearly attracted by nacre chips to which they attached. Induction of mineralization appeared preferentially in bundles of osteoblasts surrounding the nacre chips. Three-dimensional nodules were formed by a dense osteoid matrix with cuboidal osteoblasts at the periphery and osteocytic-like cells in the center. These nodules contained foci with features of mineralized structures and bone-like structures, both radiodense to X-ray. Active osteoblasts (e.m.) with abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum, extrusion of collagen fibrils and budding of vesicles were observed. Matrix vesicles induced mineral deposition. Extracellular collagen fibrils appeared cross-banded and electrodense indicating mineralization. These results demonstrate that a complete sequence of bone formation is reproduced when human osteoblasts are cultured in the presence of nacre. This model provides a new approach to study the steps of osteoblastic differentiation and the mechanisms of induction of mineralization.

Animals↗