Various stresses latently induce cellular senescence that occasionally deteriorates the functioning of surrounding tissues. Nevertheless, little is known about the appearance and function of senescent cells, caused by the implantation of beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP)-used widely in dentistry and orthopedics for treating bone diseases. In this study, two varying sizes of β-TCP granules (<300 μm and 300-500 μm) were implanted, and using histological and immunofluorescent staining, appearances of senescent-like cells in critical-sized bone defects in the calvaria of Sprague Dawley rats were evaluated. Parallelly, bone formation in defects was investigated with or without the oral administration of senolytics (a cocktail of dasatinib and quercetin). A week after the implantation, the number of senescence-associated beta-galactosidase, p21-, p19-, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive cells increased and then decreased upon administrating senolytics. This administration of senolytics also attenuated 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal staining, representing reactive oxygen species. Combining senolytic administration with β-TCP implantation significantly enhanced the bone formation in defects as revealed by micro-computed tomography analysis and hematoxylin-eosin staining. This study demonstrates that β-TCP granules latently induce senescent-like cells, and senolytic administration may improve the bone-forming ability of β-TCP by inhibiting senescence-associated mechanisms.
Keywords: beta-tricalcium phosphate; bone formation; cellular senescence; senolytics.