Interactions of orthopaedic metals with an immortalized rat osteoblast cell line

• Published in: Biomaterials Vol. 17; no. 13; pp. 1339 - 1344
• Main Authors: McKay, G.C., Macnair, R., MacDonald, C., Grant, M.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.07.1996
• Subjects: alkaline phosphatase activity; Cytotoxicity; immortalized rat osteoblasts; metals; Cytotoxicity; metals; alkaline phosphatase activity; immortalized rat osteoblasts
• ISSN: 0142-9612; 1878-5905
• DOI: 10.1016/S0142-9612(96)80012-3

The toxicity of nickel, chromium (III) and (VI), vanadium and aluminium was compared in an immortalized neonatal rat osteoblast cell line using the MTT assay and a novel index of cytoxicity, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. Where toxicity was observed, ALP was a consistently more sensitive detection method than the MTT assay. The toxicity of the metals increased in the order aluminium < chromium (III) < vanadium < nickel < chromium (VI). α-Tocopherol partially prevented nickel-induced toxicity (as assessed by ALP activity), whereas ascorbic acid had no protective effect. Chromium (VI) was more toxic than (III), with significant toxicity observed at 0.5 μ m. It is thought that Cr (III) cannot readily penetrate the cell membrane and this may account for the lower toxicity. Aluminium had a stimulatory effect on cell growth at low concentrations (0.5 μ m). The combination of immortalized rat osteoblasts and the ALP activity test provides a powerful tool for in vitro testing of orthopaedic materials.