Expression of BMP‐2 and TGF‐β1 mRNA during healing of the rabbit mandible

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Abstract
To identify the cell types which produce BMP and TGF‐β during fracture healing and to elucidate the interactions between BMP and TGF‐β in regulating cell proliferation and differeentiation at various stages, an experimental model of fracture healing in the rabbit mandible was established and the expression of BMP‐2 and TGF‐β1 mRNA was studied at different healing stages by in situ hybridization. The results showed that undifferentiated mesenchymal cells, differentiating osteoblasts and chondroblasts, had higher levels of BMP‐2 mRNA at the stage of intramembranous bone formation and early chondrogenesis, while the level of TGF‐β1 mRNA expression was closely associated with the active synthetic stage of osteoblasts and chondrocytes. These obserbvations suggest that both BMP and TGF‐β are involved in the regulation of fracture healing, BMP may play an important role in bone induction and early chondrogenesis, while TGF‐β regulates the proliferation and active synthetic ability of chondrocytes and osteoblasts.