[The experimental study on expression of BMP3 gene during fracture healing]

The role of BMP3 in fracture repair and its basic mechanisms at the molecular aspect has been studied. Fourty-eight New Zealand white rabbits with the fractures in the middle of bilateral radial shafts were used as animal models, and divided randomly into six groups for calluses at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 8th week after the onset of fracture. The levels and the cellular localizations of expression of BMP3 mRNA were investigated with the nucleotide hybridization techniques. The results revealed that BMP3 gene expression was highly increased in the early phase of fracture repair, and reached its peak at the second week (about 3.4-fold of that of the normal control). The strong expression of BMP3 gene was localized in mesenchymal cells, chondroblasts and osteoblasts. The results suggest that BMP3 plays an important role of bone-induction in the early stage of fracture repair and it works by the way of autocrine or/and paracrine pathway.