Abstract
Cathodic arc deposition technique was used to deposit zirconia (ZrO(2)) films and titania (TiO(2)) films on titanium (Ti) disks respectively. The surface topography was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The element composition of the films was detected by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The phase of films was identified by thin film X-ray diffraction. The biological behavior of osteoblast-like MG63 cells cultured on Ti, TiO(2) and ZrO(2) was investigated and the possible signaling molecules involved was studied by the gene expressions of integrin β1, extracellular related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), and c-fos. The results indicated that both the TiO(2) and ZrO(2) films were amorphous. Scanning electron microscopy study showed that the adhesion of MG63 cells on TiO(2) and ZrO(2) films was significantly enhanced compared to Ti. The CCK8 assay indicated that the TiO(2) and ZrO(2) films promoted the proliferation of MG-63 cells. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity test and the production of type collagen I (COLI) by immunofluorescence showed that both the TiO(2) and ZrO(2) films can enhance ALP activity and COLI expression of MG-63 cells. In addition, the ALP activity on ZrO(2) films was higher than on TiO(2) films at day 4, which indicate ZrO(2) films may lead to promotion of a more osteoblastic phenotype of MG-63 cells than TiO(2) films. Real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that The gene expression of integrin β1, ERK1/2, and c-fos was higher on TiO(2) and ZrO(2) films than on Ti. The present work suggests that the amorphous ZrO(2) films produced by cathodic arc deposition may be favorable for orthopedic implant applications and worth further study.
Highlights
The prolonged lifespan and greater expectation towards the quality of life have lead to an increase in the number of artificial joint replacement
The biological behavior of osteoblast-like MG63 cells cultured on Ti, TiO2 and ZrO2 was investigated and the possible signaling molecules involved was studied by the gene expressions of integrin b1, extracellular related kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), and c-fos
Our results showed that alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of MG63 cells on ZrO2 and TiO2 films is higher than on Ti disks at day 4, 7 and 10, which reflected more rapid induction of osteoblastic phenotype of MG63 cells on ZrO2 and TiO2 films
Summary
The prolonged lifespan and greater expectation towards the quality of life have lead to an increase in the number of artificial joint replacement. In the past few decades, a number of techniques based on surface modification aimed at improving the biocompatibility and osseoconductivity of Ti-based implants have been suggested [2,3,4,5,6,7,8]. Depositing a bioactive coating on orthopedic implants is an attractive method that is of great interest for biomedical applications since it can retain the key bulk properties of the material while modifying the surface to improve osseointegration and biocompatibility. The main drawbacks of these coatings are their low bonding strength and poor chemical stability, which will result in delamination and degradation of the coatings and lead to implant failure eventually. Modifying the implant with bioactive thin films may be an attractive method, because such
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