A comparison of the early therapeutic effects of allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and calcitonin on the healing of surgically induced mandibular bone defects in osteoporotic rats

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study aimed to evaluate and compare the early biological effects of allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) versus salmon calcitonin (SC) on healing of surgically induced mandibular bone defects in osteoporotic rats. MethodsSixty-one female albino rats were included in this study, four of them were used for BMSCs isolation. The remaining 57 rats were divided into 4 groups. Group I (negative control), 12 rats received a vehicle injection after which a unilateral mandibular defect was created in each rat. Osteoporosis was induced in the remaining 45 rats then rats were randomly allocated into 3 equal groups (15 each). Surgical defects were created as in group I. The defects were left to heal spontaneously in group II; positive control. While in group III each defect was filled with an absorbable hemostatic gelatin sponge loaded by 10 IU of injectable SC and in group IV the sponge was seeded by 0.5 × 106 BMSCs. Rats were euthanized at 1st, 2nd, and 4th week postsurgically. Hematoxylin and eosin, Masson’s trichrome, picrosirius, and alizarin red s stains were used, followed by statistical analysis. ResultsBMSCs-treatment showed marked enhanced bone healing. Moreover, collagen fibers and calcium deposits area percentages were statistically significantly higher when compared to the other groups particularly at 2 and 4 weeks. ConclusionsLocal application of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and salmon calcitonin may be an effective therapy for treatment of osteoporotic bone defects, with privilege to the stem cells in terms of quantity and quality of regenerated bone.