The effect of endotoxin and human dental plaque on the respiratory rate of bone cells

The effect of endotoxin and heat treat dental plaque on the respiratory activity of intact, viable bone cells was studied. cells were isolated from the zone of provisional calcification of chick epiphyseal plates. The mean rate of oxygen consumption was 20.7 × 10−9 per atom/min/cell. This was reduced by 36% in the presence of 0.1% endotoxin and by 16.1% when exposed to 0.1% heat treated dental plaque. The results suggest that endotoxin mediates bone resorption through stimulation of anaerobic metabolism.