title: SEM observation of collagen fibrils secreted from the body surface of osteoblasts on a CO3apatite-collagen sponge.
abstract: The secretion of collagen by osteoblasts was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Osteoblast-like cells were cultured on a CO3apatite-collagen sponge reinforced with a porous HAp frame. After three days' incubation, a number of newly created matrix fibrils, forming a network structure, were observed at the cell surface. SEM also showed that osteoblasts secreted collagen fibrils from their membrane, and that the collagen fibrils were twisted together. When collagen in an aqueous sol solution was sprayed onto the extremely smooth surface of a mica plate to support the secretion of osteoblasts, a collagen network structure could be clearly observed with atomic force microscopy (AFM). With this in vitro phenomenon, we could confirm the formation of collagen network structure without biological function. Therefore, it was suggested that the CO3apatite-collagen sponge used in this study is a favorable scaffold biomaterial, on which osteoblasts could produce the unmistakable, characteristic extracellular matrix for mineralization. For therapeutic use of hard tissue biomaterials, collagen formation as an extracellular matrix (ECM) is very important because mineralization is subsequent to ECM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima 734-8553, Japan.
authors.forename: Isao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tabata
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miake
authors.forename: Takaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okazaki
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001031:Apatites / Q000737:chemistry; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D017886:Durapatite / Q000737:chemistry; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D020894:Microfibrils / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015503:Surgical Sponges
chemical_list: D001031:Apatites; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; C030782:carboapatite; D003094:Collagen; D017886:Durapatite