Ultrastructural evaluation of in vitro mineralized calcium phosphate phase on surface phosphorylated poly(hydroxy ethyl methacrylate-co-methyl methacrylate)

Surface properties and early murine pre-osteoblastic cell responses of phosphoric acid modified titanium surface

AIMS

The present study investigated the surface properties and murine pre-osteoblast cell (MC3T3-E1) responses of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) treated commercially pure titanium.

METHODS

Titanium discs were treated with various concentration of H3PO4 (5%, 10%, and 20%; v/v) at 90 °C for 30 min. Surface properties were evaluated by profilometer, contact angle meter, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-rays. MC3T3-E1 attachment and spreading were evaluated by SEM and phalloidin immunohistochemistry staining.

RESULTS

Surface roughness and wettability were not statistically difference among all experimental and control groups. Phosphate and oxygen were detected on H3PO4 treated surfaces. At 20 min, cell attachment was significantly higher in 10% and 20% H3PO4 treated groups compared to the control. Cells exhibited orientated-cytoskeleton fibers on 20% H3PO4 modified titanium surface. Though, there was no difference in cell spreading stage among all treatment groups.

CONCLUSION

H3PO4 treatment on titanium may influence early cell response, particularly on attachment and spreading.

Development of sustained antimicrobial-release systems using poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)/trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate hydrogels

Reconstructive materials with sustained antimicrobial effects could be useful for preventing infectious diseases in an environment containing indigenous bacteria or fungi such as the oral cavity. With the objective of applying a non-biodegradable hydrogel to resin-based materials as a reservoir for water-soluble antimicrobials, novel hydrogels consisting of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) and trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPT) were fabricated. Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) was loaded into five hydrogels comprising different ratios of HEMA/TMPT, and their ability to release as well as to be recharged with CPC was examined in vitro. A polyHEMA/TMPT hydrogel comprising 50% HEMA/50% TMPT could be effectively loaded and recharged with CPC by immersion into a CPC solution, demonstrating the longest release of CPC, above the concentration required to inhibit bacteria and fungi. The binding of CPC to the hydrogels was mainly through hydrophobic interaction. Loading of CPC into a hydrogel by mixing CPC powder with the HEMA/TMPT monomer before polymerization resulted in marked extension of the initial CPC-release period. The CPC-pre-mixed hydrogel was confirmed to exhibit antibacterial activity by agar diffusion tests. It is possible to achieve a sustained release system for antimicrobials by pre-mix loading and recharging CPC into a 50% HEMA/50% TMPT hydrogel.

Interactions between inorganic and organic phases in bone tissue as a source of inspiration for design of novel nanocomposites

Mimicking the nanostructure of bone and understanding the interactions between the nanoscale inorganic and organic components of the extracellular bone matrix are crucial for the design of biomaterials with structural properties and a functionality similar to the natural bone tissue. Generally, these interactions involve anionic and/or cationic functional groups as present in the organic matrix, which exhibit a strong affinity for either calcium or phosphate ions from the mineral phase of bone. This study reviews the interactions between the mineral and organic extracellular matrix components in bone tissue as a source of inspiration for the design of novel nanocomposites. After providing a brief description of the various structural levels of bone and its main constituents, a concise overview is presented on the process of bone mineralization as well as the interactions between calcium phosphate (CaP) nanocrystals and the organic matrix of bone tissue. Bioinspired synthetic approaches for obtaining nanocomposites are subsequently addressed, with specific focus on chemical groups that have affinity for CaPs or are involved in stimulating and controlling mineral formation, that is, anionic functional groups, including carboxyl, phosphate, sulfate, hydroxyl, and catechol groups.

Bone tissue response to implant surfaces functionalized with phosphate-containing polymers

OBJECTIVES

Inorganic polyphosphates are said to stimulate the activity of osteoblast-like cells in vitro. The purpose of this study was to evaluate in vivo bone regeneration around implants treated with polyphosphoric acid (PPA) and phosphorylated pullulan (PPL).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Two types of implants with different surface roughness (R1: Sa ≈ 0.23 μm; R2: Sa ≈ 1.35 μm) were treated with three solutions (distilled water, 10%wt PPA, or 10%wt PPL) prior to implantation in both tibia of twelve female white rabbits. Each animal received six implants randomly positioned according to their surface roughness and treatment: R1 + water; R1 + PPA; R1 + PPL; R2 + water; R2 + PPA; R2 + PPL. Animals were sacrificed after 1 or 4 weeks, and samples were prepared for histological and histomorphometrical analysis. Bone regeneration areas were evaluated for bone-to-implant contact (BIC) and bone fraction (BF) in areas 100 and 500 μm remote from the implant surface. Data were statistically analyzed by means of Friedman and Wilcoxon matched-pair tests (P < 0.05).

RESULTS

After 1 week, bone tissue was rarely formed in the regeneration areas. After 4 weeks, implants treated with PPA presented higher ratios of BIC (R1 = 52.3 ± 13.1; R2 = 54.6 ± 11.0) than the ones treated with water (R1 = 24.1 ± 15.1; R2 = 32.4 ± 13.0). On the other hand, around the implant surface (100 μm), PPL-treated implants induced higher BF (R1 = 78.3 ± 34.1; R2 = 71.2 ± 21.8) as compared with the water-treated ones (R1 = 46.1 ± 22.0; R2 = 49.6 ± 21.0). At 500 μm, however, no statistically significant differences in BF were found among the groups evaluated (P > 0.05). Surface roughness influenced neither BIC nor BF.

CONCLUSIONS

Implant surface treatment with phosphate-containing polymers may positively influence osseointegration.