Abstract
Bacterial adhesion to the calcium phosphate surface is a serious problem in surgery. To prevent bacterial infection, the development of calcium-phosphate cements (CPCs) with bactericidal properties is indispensable. The aim of this study was to fabricate antibacterial CPCs and evaluate their biological properties. Silver-containing tricalcium phosphate (Ag-TCP) microspheres consisting of α/β-TCP phases were synthesized by an ultrasonic spray-pyrolysis technique. The powders prepared were mixed with the setting liquid to fabricate the CPCs. The resulting cements consisting of β-TCP and hydroxyapatite had a porous structure and wash-out resistance. Additionally, silver and calcium ions could be released into the culture medium from Ag-TCP cements for a long time accompanied by the dissolution of TCP. These data showed the bioresorbability of the Ag-TCP cement. In vitro antibacterial evaluation demonstrated that both released and immobilized silver suppressed the growth of bacteria and prevented bacterial adhesion to the surface of CPCs. Furthermore, histological evaluation by implantation of Ag-TCP cements into rabbit tibiae exhibited abundant bone apposition on the cement without inflammatory responses. These results showed that Ag-TCP cement has a good antibacterial property and good biocompatibility. The present Ag-TCP cements are promising for bone tissue engineering and may be used as antibacterial biomaterials.
Highlights
The similarity of calcium phosphate (CaP) to the mineral phase in bone contributes to good biocompatibility as well as excellent osteoconductivity
Bioresorbable calcium-phosphate cements (CPCs) loaded with antibiotics have been developed because implants including CPCs become potential sources of bacterial infection [13,14,15]
The antimicrobial activity of a surface can be accomplished through two different approaches: i) the release of a chemical or antibacterial agent from the surface of medical device that targets the surrounding bacteria; ii) immobilization of antibiotic molecules on the device surface that can inhibit the bacterial adhesion to the surface or kill the attached bacteria [17]
Summary
The similarity of calcium phosphate (CaP) to the mineral phase in bone contributes to good biocompatibility as well as excellent osteoconductivity. The resulting cements, based on the reaction of dissolution and precipitation, were replaced by newly formed bone at body temperature and in a physiological environment. Due to their low macroporosity, these cements take a long time to be reabsorbed via cell-mediated processes such as osteoclasts. The antimicrobial activity of a surface can be accomplished through two different approaches: i) the release of a chemical or antibacterial agent from the surface of medical device that targets the surrounding bacteria; ii) immobilization of antibiotic molecules on the device surface that can inhibit the bacterial adhesion to the surface or kill the attached bacteria [17]
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