Calcification preceding new bone formation induced by demineralized bone matrix gelatin

Demineralized bone matrix gelatin (BMG) was implanted into the skeletal muscle of Sprague-Dawley (S.D.) rats, and histological changes were examined 3, 5, 7, 10 and 15 days later. Before bone formation, a specific calcification process was found in most of the BMG from day 5 and 7 after implantation. The heterotopic calcified sites were not always consistent with the sites of the alkaline phosphatase activity. It was considered that this calcification progresses without any cellular components, and we distinguished this type of calcification as "acellular mineral deposition" from the calcification which occurs in new bone formation. This "acellular mineral deposition" was first observed as small spherical calcified deposits in the BMG on day 7 after implantation; these deposits then gradually grew and fused with each other. Some multinucleated cells appeared near the site of calcification on day 7 after implantation, but osteoblasts or osteoblast-like cells were scarcely observed around the calcified deposits in BMG until day 7. Vascularization was often observed near the "acellular mineral deposition" and the new bone formation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that the calcified deposits in BMG were composed of hydroxyapatite, carbonateapatite and other calcium phosphate components, and that the first two components became prominent with time. It is believed that the "acellular mineral deposition" is due to the deposition of calcium and phosphate into the BMG by a process of heterogenic nucleation that does not involve osteoblasts or matrix vesicles. Bone formation induced by the BMG occurred after the "acellular mineral deposition." The experimental calcification shown in this paper seems a useful model for the study of biocalcification.