Abstract
Copper/aluminum alloys are largely utilized in odontological restorations because they are less expensive than gold or platinum. However, tarnishing and important corrosion in intrabuccal prostheses made with copper/aluminum alloys after 28 days of use have been reported. Several kinds of food and beverage may attack and corrode these alloys. Copper is an essential component of several important enzymes directly involved in mitochondrial respiratory metabolism. Aluminum, in contrast, is very toxic and, when absorbed, plasma values as small as 1.65 to 21.55 microg/dl can cause severe lesions to the nervous system, kidneys, and bone marrow. Because mitochondria are extremely sensitive to minimal variation of cellular physiology, the direct relationship between the mitocondrial respiratory chain and cell lesions has been used as a sensitive parameter to evaluate cellular aggression by external agents. This work consisted in the polarographic study of mitochondrial respiratory metabolism of livers and kidneys of rabbits with femoral implants of titanium or copper/aluminum alloy screws. The experimental results obtained did not show physiological modifications of hepatic or renal mitochondria isolated from animals of the three experimental groups, which indicate good biocompatibility of copper/ aluminum alloys and suggest their odontological use.
Highlights
In order to decrease the high cost of gold or platinum alloy systems for odontological use, several other alloy systems have been used
In 1976, Simonetti (3) reported that small pieces made of copper/aluminum alloy did not provoke any important histologic reactions when introduced in the dorsal region of adult rats and left there for 45 days
The hepatic and renal mitochondrial respiration was used as a sensitive parameter to evaluate the biocompatibility of copper/ aluminum alloys implanted in vivo in rabbit femurs
Summary
In order to decrease the high cost of gold or platinum alloy systems for odontological use, several other alloy systems have been used. Other studies have shown tarnishing and important corrosion in intrabuccal prostheses made with copper/aluminum alloy after 28 days of use in ambulatory patients. Copper is an essential component of several important enzymes including superoxide dismutase (E.C. 1.15.1.1), a free radical scavenger and cytochrome-c oxidase (E.C. 1.9.3.1) involved in mitochondria respiratory metabolism as an electron transport protein. Mitochondria are intracellular organelles, existing in eukaryotic cells, responsible for production of ATP, heat generation, intracellular calcium regulation, reactive oxygen species generation and are involved in apoptosis and cell death (9). These organelles are extremely sensitive to minimal variations of cellular physiology. The hepatic and renal mitochondrial respiration was used as a sensitive parameter to evaluate the biocompatibility of copper/ aluminum alloys implanted in vivo in rabbit femurs
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