Induction of osteoblast differentiation in human adipose derived stem cells by lanthanum ions

Evaluation of La(XT), a novel lanthanide compound, in an OVX rat model of osteoporosis

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of a novel lanthanum compound, La(XT), in an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model of osteoporosis.

Methods

Twenty-four ovariectomized female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups receiving a research diet with/without treatment compounds (alendronate: 3 mg/kg; La(XT) 100 mg/kg) for three months. At the time of sacrifice, the kidney, liver, brain, lung and spleen were collected for histological examination. The trabecular bone structure of the tibiae was evaluated using micro-CT and a three-point metaphyseal mechanical test was used to evaluate bone failure load and stiffness.

Results

No significant differences were noted in plasma levels of calcium, phosphorus, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) between the La(XT) treatment compared to the non-treated OVX group. Alendronate-treated animals (positive control) showed higher BV/TV, Tb.N and lower Tb.Th and Tb.Sp when compared to the non-treated OVX group. Mechanical analysis indicated that stiffness was higher in the alendronate (32.88%, p = 0.04) when compared to the non-treated OVX group. Failure load did not differ among the groups.

Conclusions

No kidney or liver toxicities of La(XT) treatments were found during the three-month study. The absence of liver and kidney toxicity with drug treatment for 3 months, as well as the increased trabecular bone stiffness are encouraging for the pursuit of further studies with La(XT) for a longer duration of time.

Effects of lanthanum carbonate on bone markers and bone mineral density in incident hemodialysis patients

INTRODUCTION

Recent clinical studies demonstrated the favorable effects of calcium-free phosphate binders on mortality and vascular calcification in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a calcium-free phosphate binder, lanthanum carbonate (LC), on bone metabolic markers and bone mineral density (BMD), compared with those of calcium carbonate (CC), in subjects new to HD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present study included 65 subjects from our previous randomized controlled trial (LC group, N = 31; CC group, N = 34). We investigated the effects of LC on serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), osteocalcin (OC), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP-5b), sclerostin levels, and BMD, compared with those of CC in patients new to HD at baseline and at 12 and 18 months.

RESULTS

Serum OC levels at 18 months were significantly higher in the LC group than in the CC group. During the study period, serum BAP and TRACP-5b and iPTH levels tended to be higher in the LC group than in the CC group. At 18 months, the percentage of low bone turnover, based on a serum BAP cutoff value, was significantly lower in the LC group than in the CC group. There were no significant differences in the lumbar and femoral BMD between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study suggest that LC has potential in preventing low bone turnover, in comparison to CC, in patients new to HD.

Enhanced mesenchymal stem cell proliferation through complexation of selenium/titanium nanocomposites

The main target of this work was to explore the proliferative impact of selenium dioxide nanoparticles (SeO₂) and selenium dioxide/titanium dioxide nanocomposites (Se/Ti (I), (II) and (III)) on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). For this purpose, SeO₂ and Se/Ti (I), (II) and (III) were prepared by facile one step method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Zetasizer, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) along with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) with reference to SeO₂ nanoparticles. Also, MSCs were isolated from rat bone marrow (BM-MSCs) and adipose tissue (ADSCs), propagated and characterized by flow cytometry. Thereafter, the proliferative effect of the fabricated nanomaterials was investigated by MTT assay. The TEM and DLS results, revealed that the average particle size of the suggested nanomaterials was in nanoscale. XRD pattern showed well crystalline structure for SeO₂ nanoparticles and Se/Ti (I), (II) and (III) nanocomposites; the decreasing of the crystalline phase was observed by increasing the wt% of TiO₂. The designed nanomaterials showed proliferative effects on MSCs with the most prominent effect exerted by 2 µg/ml of Se/Ti (III) and 5 µg/ml of Se/Ti (II) for ADSCs and 20 µg/ml of Se/Ti (II) and 10 µg/ml of Se/Ti (III) for BM-MSCs. Therefore, these newly designed nanomaterials have a promising influence on MSCs proliferation and they are recommended to be utilized in the filed of tissue engineering.

Ultrasonic mediated synthesis of monodispersed lanthanum hydroxide nanorods for possible bioimplant application

Monodispersed lanthanum hydroxide nano-rods (LaNRs) were synthesized for prospective biomedical application using a microwave heating and ultrasonic agitation methodology which does not require any toxic stabilizing agent. The average length and diameter of the LaNRs thus obtained were 183.4 ± 3.6 and 9.9 ± 0.2 nm respectively, as analyzed by HRTEM. FTIR spectrum confirmed the presence of OH groups. The thermal transformation of lanthanum hydroxide (La(OH)3) was studied by thermogravimetric analysis. The synthesized LaNRs were found to be stable for a period of 1 month at room temperature. They were biocompatible as evaluated by haemocompatibility assay and viability assay using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The pro-angiogenic property of LaNRs was demonstrated by in vivo chick chorioallantoic membrane assay. The LaNRs induced osteoblast differentiation of human adipose derived stem cells with significant calcium (Ca(2+)) deposition indicating potential applications in bone tissue engineering.