Acid solutions enhance bone-inducing activity of a murine osteosarcoma

Heterotopic osteogenesis induced by lyophilized powder of a murine osteosarcoma was greatly enhanced by treating the powder with the following acids: 0.01 N HCl (pH 2.0), 0.1 N HCl (pH 1.7), 1 N HCl (pH 1.2), 0.5 M acetic acid (pH 2.8), 0.5 M lactic acid (pH 2.0), and 0.5 M citric acid (pH 1.8). The acid-treated preparations were neutralized before implantation into back muscles of ddY mice. Acid treatment resulted in almost a fivefold increase in the amount of new bone formation, as measured by uptake of strontium-85 into the implants. In addition bone-inducing activity was increased by longer exposure to 0.01 N HCl up to 24 h. These findings suggest that the bone-inducing activity of the osteosarcoma is enhanced by various acids below pH 2.8. A possible role for hydrogen ion concentration in the regulation of osteogenesis is discussed.