[Basic studies on CaO-P2O5-MgO-SiO2-CaF system glass ceramics. 2. Ultrastructural study on interface between culture...

The aim of this study was to determine biocompatibility of glass ceramics and adhesion of cultured cells to glass ceramics. Four established cultured cell lines, human fibrosarcoma cells (HT-1080), human gingival carcinoma cells (Ca9-22), human osteosarcoma cells (NY) and mouse osteoblasts (MC3T3-E1), were used. For phase-contrast and electron microscopic observation they were cultured on substrates of glass ceramics or polystyrene coverslips as a control. The results obtained were as follows. Glass ceramics caused neither cellular degeneration nor death, as revealed by phase-contrast microscopy. By transmission electron microscopy an amorphous structure similar to the basal lamina was observed at the interface between the substrates and Ca9-22, and between glass ceramics and NY. A similar structure sometimes existed between the substrates and MC3T3-E1. On the other hand HT-1080 showed no such structure. The findings suggest that the biocompatibility of glass ceramics was satisfactory. Furthermore, from the clinical point of view it seems to be possible to close the material-tissue interface with epithelial, fibrocytic and osteocytic cells.