Fig. 1

AICAR slightly upregulated the BMP-2-induced proliferation rate in osteoblasts on a titanium disc. A Characterization of material surface of titanium. Surface topology of Ti using laser fiber scanning and those in without or with MC3T3-E1 cells cultured after 24 h using scanning electron microscope. B MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with BMP-2 (50 ng/mL) in the presence or absence of AICAR (500 μM) and stained on a titanium disc using calcein–AM. The number inserted at the bottom left of each photo indicates the mean from the positive cells on three Ti discs (mean ± SEM). C Cells treated with BMP-2 (50 ng/mL) were cultured with or without AICAR (500 μM) on the titanium disc, and the rate of cell proliferation as determined using a CCK-8 assay. The bar graphs show the mean from five culture wells (mean ± SEM). **Indicates P < 0.01 vs. treatment with BMP-2 alone