Hydroxyapatite surface roughness: Complex modulation of the osteoclastogenesis of human precursor cells

It is recognized that the surface roughness affects osteoblastic differentiation, but little information is available regarding its effect on osteoclastogenesis. With this work, the osteoclastogenic behaviour of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), cultured isolated (1.5 × 106 cells cm−2) or co-cultured with human bone marrow cells (hBMCs; 103 cells cm−2), was assessed on surface-abraded hydroxyapatite disks with three different surface roughnesses (Ra 0.0437–0.582 μm). Monocultures and co-cultures were performed for 21 days in the absence or presence of recombinant M-CSF and RANKL. Results showed that PBMCs supplemented with M-CSF and RANKL or co-cultured with hBMCs displayed typical osteoclastic features, i.e. multinucleated cells with actin rings, vitronectin and calcitonin receptors, gene expression of TRAP, cathepsin K, carbonic anhydrase 2, c-myc and c-src, TRAP activity and resorbing activity. The osteoclastogenic response increased with surface roughness in PBMCs cultured with M-CSF and RANKL but decreased in PBMCs co-cultured with hBMCs. However, co-cultures supplemented with the osteoclastogenic inducers displayed high and similar levels of osteoclast differentiation in the three tested surfaces. In conclusion, modulation of osteoclast differentiation by surface roughness seemed to be dependent on the mechanisms subjacent to the osteoclastogenic stimulus, i.e. the presence of soluble factors or direct cell-to-cell contacts between osteoblastic and osteoclastic cells.