Vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) has an anabolic effect on the skeleton and reportedly enhances bone ingrowth. We used an in
vivo critical bone defect model to determine whether local administration of DBP promotes bone defect healing. We created
a 5-mm segmental bone defect in the radial shaft in a rat model. Forty-eight rats were assigned to eight groups: local application
of 1 μg, 5 μg, 10 μg, or 50 μg DBP (DBP-1, DBP-5, DBP-10, DBP-50), autogenous bone marrow mononuclear cells with or without
10 μg DBP (BM-DBP-10, BM), 80 μg BMP-2 delivered in gelatin sponge (BMP-2), and the sham operated group. Radiographic evaluation,
histological stains, and epifluorescence microscopy were performed. Grossly, all bone gaps of the BMP-2 group were solidly
bridged by callus, while all those in the sham operated group remained unhealed by 9 weeks. Only one specimen of the BM-DBP-10
and DBP-50 groups and three specimens of the BM group were solidly healed; pseudarthroses occurred in all of the other specimens.
Histological study and radiographs of the specimens showed similar results. We did not observe the enhanced bone healing reported
in a previous study.
One or more of the authors (J-S Sun and P-Y Chen) have received funding from the Industrial Technology Research Institute,
Shin-Chiu, Taiwan, ROC.
Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the animal protocol for this investigation and that all investigations
were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research.
This work was performed at Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei City, Taiwan.