The use of rat, rabbit or human bone marrow derived cells for cytocompatibility evaluation of metallic elements.

Rat, rabbit and human bone marrow cells were cultured according to the method previously reported for cells of rat origin [1] and were exposed, or not (control), to corrosion products of a Co-Cr orthopaedic alloy as well as to metal salts containing Co2+, Cr3+ and Cr6+. Cells were cultured for 21 days and analysed for the following biochemical parameters: intracellular MTT reduction (i.e. cell viability/proliferation), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and protein production. Morphological observations included both histochemistry (detection of ALP-positive cells, calcium and phosphate deposits) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Control cultures of rat and rabbit cells showed higher proliferation rates than human cells at the start of culture, but they all reached similar values on day 21. Protein production was parallel to cell proliferation. In contrast, ALP activity of rat cultures was much stronger than rabbit or human cultures. All cell types were able to develop the osteogenic phenotype in vitro.Co-Cr extract caused inhibitory effects on cell viability, on ALP activity and, to a lower extent, on protein production of all rat, rabbit and human cell cultures. Compared to rat and rabbit cultures, human cultures were the most sensitive to metal ions exposure.