Effect of carbon dioxide and various oxygen tensions on the respiratory activity of bone

Summary

The present study was carried out to determine the influence of carbon dioxide and oxygen tension on the respiratory activity of bone cells in mouse calvaria in vitro. Five-day-old mouse calvaria were removed aseptically and incubated individually for 1 h at 37° C in a closed reaction chamber containing 1.5 ml of tissue culture medium made up of 60% horse serum in Gey's solution containing 100 unit/ml penicillin and 100µg/ml streptomycin. Before the calvaria were added, the medium in the incubation chamber was equilibrated with 10%, 20%, 30%, or 50% oxygen balanced with nitrogen. The effect of CO₂ on oxygen utilization by the calvaria was determined by incubating the calvaria in a medium previously equilibrated with either 50% O₂ balanced with N₂ or 50% O₂ and 5% CO₂ balanced with N₂. At each oxygen tension, the rate of oxygen utilization by the calvaria was measured polarographically by a Clark oxygen electrode. The results showed that the rate of oxygen uptake of bone increased as the oxygen tension increased and carbon dioxide stimulated significantly the rate of oxygen utilization by the bone cells. In view of the previous reports that both carbon dioxide and oxygen tension are implicated in the process of bone resorption, it is suggested that these two factors may affect bone resorption by influencing the oxygen utilization by bone cells and ultimately controlling their energy metabolism.