Physiochemical effects of acid exposure on bone composition and function

Bone is primarily composed of collagen and apatite, two materials which exhibit a high sensitivity to pH dysregulation. As a result, acid exposure of bone, both clinically and in the laboratory is expected to cause compositional and mechanical changes to the tissue. Clinically, Metabolic acidosis (MA), a condition characterized by a reduced physiological pH, has been shown to have negative implications on bone health, including a decrease in bone mineral density and volume as well as increased fracture risk. The addition of bone-like apatite to ionic solutions such as phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and media has been shown to acidify the solution leading to bone acid exposure. Therefore, is it essential to understand how reduced pH physiochemically affects bone composition and in turn its mechanical properties. This study investigates the specific changes in bone due to physiochemical dissolution in acid. Excised murine bones were placed in PBS solutions at different pHs: a homeostatic pH level (pH 7.4), an acidosis equivalent (pH 7.0), and an extreme acidic solution (pH 5.5). After 5 days, the bones were removed from the solutions and characterized to determine compositional and material changes. We found that bones, without cells, were able to regulate pH via buffering, leading to a decrease in bone mineral content and an increase in collagen denaturation. Both of these compositional changes contributed to an increase in bone toughness by creating a more ductile bone surface and preventing crack propagation. Therefore, we conclude that the skeletal systems’ physiochemical response to acid exposure includes multifaceted and spatially variable compositional changes that affect bone mechanics.