Effects of Arsenic Trioxide on the Proliferation and BMP-2 in Osteoblasts Cultured in vitro

[Objective] To study the effects of different doses of arsenic trioxide on the proliferation and bone morphogenetic protein-2(BMP-2) gene expression of cultured rat osteoblasts cells.[Method] After the osteoblasts were treated by different concentrations of As2O3(10,1 and 0.1μmol/L) for 48 h and 72 h,the morphology of osteoblasts was observed under inverted microscophy,the proliferation of osteoblasts was tested by MTT assay,and the BMP-2 gene expression of osteoblasts was determined with RT-PCR.[Result] In 10 μmol/L arsenic trioxide treatment group,some osteoblasts become rounder and smaller,the nuclear was condensed and fragmented,and the cell membrane folded and depressed;in 1 μmol/L arsenic trioxide treatment group,there were large number of osteoblasts with obvious split phase;in 0.1 μmol/L arsenic trioxide treatment group,the osteoblasts were closely connected.The OD value of 10 μmol/L group was significantly lower than the control group,OD value in 72 h was lower than 48 h,which had statistical difference(P0.01);OD value of 1 μmol/L group was significantly higher than the control group.OD value in 72 h was higher than OD value in 48 h,which had statistical difference(P0.01).The OD value of 0.1 μmol/L group in 72 h had no statistical difference with 48 h(P0.05) and was the same as control group.The BMP-2 gene expression of 10 μmol/L group in 72 g was significantly lower than in 48 g and BMP-2 gene expression of 10 μmol/L group was significantly lower than the control group,which had statistical difference(P0.01);BMP-2 gene expression of 1 μmol/L group had no significant difference between in 48 h and in 72 h and the same as control group(P0.05).BMP-2 gene expression of 0.1 μmol/L group in 72 h was significantly higher than in 48 h and BMP-2 gene expression of 10 μmol/L group was significantly higher than the control group,which had statistical difference(P0.01).[Conclusion] As2O3 has a positive-negative regulatory role for cell proliferation and BMP-2 mRNA expression to rat osteoblast in vitro,and presents a dose-time dependence.