title: Insulin enhancement of in vitro wound healing in fetal rat parietal bones.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study evaluated the effect of insulin on fracture in fetal rat intramembranous bone using an organ culture system in which bone mineralizes in vitro.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-day-old fetal rat parietal bones were fractured parallel to the frontal plane and cultured in a serum-free medium with or without insulin for 4 to 12 days. They were then processed for light microscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the specimens not treated with insulin, bony bridges were observed in less than 10% on day 4 and 8, and only 45% on day 12. In bones treated with insulin at 10(-6) mol/L, bony bridges were observed in 73% on day 4 and 100% on day 8 and 12. No callus or cartilage formation was observed during the wound repair process, indicating that intramembranous ossification occurred.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that insulin has a direct effect on bone cells, which enhances the healing of fractures in intramembranous bone.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yano
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohya
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Amagasa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005333:Fetus; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D010294:Parietal Bone / Q000187:drug effects / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin