Studies were made on the fate of implanted material during bone induction. Mixtures of 1 mg of crude bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), or bovine serum albumin as a control, and 1.5 mg of bovine collagen, were pressed into discs and implanted under the fascia of the rectus abdominus muscle of rats. The tissues with implants were fixed 7, 10, and 14 days later and examined histologically. On day 7 after implantation, the implant was surrounded and invaded by alkaline phosphatase-positive cells. New bone and cartilage were seen at the periphery of the implant. In the regions of calcified cartilage and bone, these osteogenic matrices were intermixed with the implant. The mineral deposits were seen by electron microscopy not only on the osteogenic matrices but also on the implanted collagen. On day 14, the bone had spread to the center of the implant. No osteogenesis or chondrogenesis was seen in control implants. It was concluded that the calcification occurred on the implanted collagen during bone induction, and that it was related to successive bone formation and remodeling.

No abstract

We have previously reported the ability of porous glass material (PGM) to adsorb phosphate and that calcium contributed to this process. In the present investigation, the possible use of PGM to improve water quality (wastewater in particular) and the subsequent use of phosphate‐adsorbed PGM as fertilizer were examined. We confirmed the phyto‐availability of phosphate adsorbed onto PGM using tomato cultivation and an assay of truog‐phosphate levels. Adsorption and release of phosphate in PGM was controlled by particle size. The findings suggest the possibility of using PGM of different particle sizes for efficient phosphate recycling in soil‐water/plant systems.

No abstract

Effect of various inhibitors on the P-type Na+-ATPase of a facultatively anaerobic alkaliphile, Exiguobacterium aurantiacum, was examined. The ATPase was extremely sensitive to p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid, a modifier of SH-group. The enzyme was also sensitive to diethylpyrocarbonate, and analysis of the inhibition kinetics by the drug indicated that modification of a single histidine residue per ATPase molecule was sufficient to inactivate the enzyme.