Seeded growth of hydroxyapatite in the presence of dissolved albumin.

Hydroxyapatite (HAP) crystals were grown from a supersaturated solution by the addition of a suspension of seed crystals at a controlled pH value of 7.4 and a temperature of 37 degrees C. The degree of supersaturation was comparable to that in biological fluids and was such that all HAP precipitated would be expected to deposit on the seeds. Albumin was added to some of the solutions to give a concentration in the range 75-250 micrograms cm-3. Samples of solution were removed at known times after the addition of seed crystals and their calcium ion concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The decrease in the dissolved calcium concentration was taken to be a measure of crystal growth. In the absence of seeds, no decrease in calcium concentration occurred. The initial rate of HAP growth decreased linearly with albumin concentration, i.e., albumin was found to inhibit crystal growth. Inhibition kinetics were consistent with a Langmuir model in which a single albumin molecule was capable of binding to more than one growth site on the crystal surface. Comparison with published results indicated that albumin was a less potent inhibitor of HAP growth than phosphoproteins but was a more potent inhibitor than magnesium or citrate ions.