Combined Effects of Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 and Carbonate Apatite Granules on Periodontal Healing: An In Vivo and In Vitro Study.

The aim of this study was to investigate in vivo and in vitro the effectiveness of the use of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 with carbonate apatite (CO 3 Ap) on periodontal healing. Periodontal defects created in the maxillary first molars in rats were treated with FGF-2, CO 3 Ap, FGF-2 + CO 3 Ap or left unfilled. Healing was evaluated using microcomputed tomography, histological, and immunohistochemical analyses. In vitro experiments were performed to assess cellular behaviors and the expression of osteoblastic differentiation markers in MC3T3-E1 cells. At 4 weeks, the bone volume fraction in the FGF-2 + CO 3 Ap group was significantly greater than that in the CO 3 Ap group, but there was no significant difference from the FGF-2 group. The FGF-2 + CO 3 Ap group demonstrated greater new bone compared with the FGF-2 or CO 3 Ap group. The FGF-2 + CO 3 Ap group showed greater levels of osteocalcin-positive cells compared with the CO 3 Ap group, but there was no significant difference from the FGF-2 group. In vitro, the FGF-2 + CO 3 Ap group exhibited a greater extent of cell attachment and more elongated cells compared with the CO 3 Ap group. Compared with the CO 3 Ap group, the FGF-2 + CO 3 Ap group showed significantly higher viability/proliferation, but the expressions of Runx2 and Sp7 were reduced. The results indicated that the use of FGF-2 with CO 3 Ap enhanced healing in the periodontal defects. FGF-2 promoted cell attachment to and proliferation on CO 3 Ap and regulated osteoblastic differentiation, thereby contributing to novel bone formation.