Kinetics of dissolution of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate crystals

Is there a relationship between solubility and resorbability of different calcium phosphate phases in vitro?

BACKGROUND

Does chemistry govern biology or it is the other way around - that is a broad connotation of the question that this study attempted to answer.

METHOD

Comparison was made between the solubility and osteoclastic resorbability of four fundamentally different monophasic calcium phosphate (CP) powders with monodisperse particle size distributions: alkaline hydroxyapatite (HAP), acidic monetite (DCP), β-calcium pyrophosphate (CPP), and amorphous CP (ACP). Results With the exception of CPP, the difference in solubility between different CP phases became neither mitigated nor reversed, but augmented in the resorptive osteoclastic milieu. Thus, DCP, a phase with the highest solubility, was also resorbed more intensely than any other CP phase, whereas HAP, a phase with the lowest solubility, was resorbed least. CPP becomes retained inside the cells for the longest period of time, indicating hindered digestion of only this particular type of CP. Osteoclastogenesis was mildly hindered in the presence of HAP, ACP and DCP, but not in the presence of CPP. The most viable CP powder with respect to the mitochondrial succinic dehydrogenase activity was the one present in natural biological bone tissues: HAP.

CONCLUSION

Chemistry in this case does have a direct effect on biology. Biology neither overrides nor reverses the chemical propensities of inorganics with which it interacts, but rather augments and takes a direct advantage of them.

SIGNIFICANCE

These findings set the fundamental basis for designing the chemical makeup of CP and other biosoluble components of tissue engineering constructs for their most optimal resorption and tissue regeneration response.

HPO2-4 content in enamel and artificial carious lesions

The HPO2-4 and CO2-3 content was determined in sound enamel and in material collected from artificially produced carious lesions. The method described shows that the HPO2-4 content can be determined from the 875 cm(-1) infrared absorption band if correction for the CO2-3 contribution are made. The I.R. spectra show that the HPO2-4 content in sound human or bovine enamel is about 5% by weight. In artificially produced carious lesions (pH=4.0), the HPO2-4 content is in the order of 15 wt%. Most likely, the HPO2-4 ions in sound and carious enamel have a different enviroment.