Effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment on calvarial bone regeneration in young and adult mice

Abstract

Objective: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment on calvarial bone regeneration in young and adult mice.

Methods: Calvarial defects of 6.0 mm diameter were created in sixteen 3-week (young) and sixteen 32-week old (adult) mice. The mice were divided into two groups of eight animals each (HBO-treated and control). The 90-min HBO treatment at 2.5 absolute atmospheric pressure and 100 % oxygen was performed for five days a week for 12 weeks. After 2-weeks from the operation, micro-computerized tomography and video microscopy were used to evaluate the regenerated bone volume and microcirculation every two weeks. The protein concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in exudates of the calvarial tissue field were measured at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks after surgery. After 12 weeks, histochemical examination of regenerated calvarial bone was conducted.

Results: Regenerated bone was formed earlier in young mice than in adult mice treated with HBO. HBO stimulates angiogenesis in the periosteum around regenerated bone area in both young and adult mice at 2 weeks. VEGF concentrations in the calvarial tissue field were lower in the HBO group than in the control 1 week after operation, although bFGF were higher till the 2nd week in the HBO group than in the control.

Conclusions: HBO accelerates bone regeneration earlier in young mice than in adult mice. In the HBO-treated group, bFGF expression was promoted at an early stage, although the expression of VEGF was inhibited.

Keywords: Angiogenesis; Bone regeneration; Hyperbaric oxygen treatment; VEGF; bFGF.