Immunoexpression of BMP-2 protein on bone repair of critical size defects treated with autogenous macerated adipose tissue

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The adipose tissue is an important reservoir of adult stem cells which have capacity of differentiating in osteoblasts with potential implication in reaching bone regeneration. The evaluation of the osteoblastic differentiation can be verified through immunohistochemical markers such as bone morphogenetic protein- 2 (BMP-2). Objective: To evaluate the immunoexpression of BMP-2 protein on the bone repairing of critical size defects (CSD) surgically created in rat calvaria and treated by autogenous macerated adipose tissue. Material and methods: Forty male rats had a CSD measuring 5 mm created on their calvaria. The animals were randomly divided into two groups group C (control) and group AT (macerated adipose tissue grafting). In group C, the defect was filled with only blood clot. In group AT, the defect was filled with autogenous macerated adipose tissue. The groups were subdivided into two subgroups (n = 10) for euthanasia at 7 and 90 post-operative days. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses were carried out. Data were submitted to descriptive statistics (mode). Results: In group AT, both at 7 and 90 post-operative days, the main healing type was the presence of dense conjunctive tissue exhibiting bundles of collagen fibers disposed in beams permeating the remaining adipose tissue with rare heterotopic bone formation associated to fibrosis and different types of tissue necrosis. In group C, the repair was achieved by the formation of bundles of collagen fibers oriented parallelly to the surface of the wound at the two post-surgical periods. The immune-staining of BMP-2 was present only in group C (7 and 90 post-operative days). Conclusion: Within the limits of this present study, it can be concluded that the adipose tissue grafting did not favor bone neoformation in critical size defects and BMP-2 signaling was not observed.