Abstract
The objective of the present study was to assess cell attachment, proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) production by bovine annulus fibrosus (BAF) cells cultured in vitro in PDLLA/Bioglass ® composite foams. PDLLA foams incorporated with different percentages (0, 5 and 30 wt%) of Bioglass ® particles were prepared by thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) process and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). BAF cell morphology and attachment within the PDLLA/Bioglass ® foams were analysed using SEM. An assessment of cell proliferation was conducted using the WST-1 assay. The amount of sulphated glycosaminoglycans (sGAG) were quantified using the 1,9-dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB) assay after 4 weeks in culture. Furthermore, the amount of collagen synthesis was determined using a hydroxyproline assay, and the presence of collagen types I and II was investigated using Western blotting. Our results reveal that PDLLA/Bioglass ® foam scaffolds can provide an appropriate microenvironment for BAF cell culture which enhances cell proliferation and promotes the production of sGAG, collagen type I and collagen type II. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the use of PDLLA/Bioglass ® composite scaffolds as cell-carrier materials for future treatments of intervertebral discs with damaged AF regions.
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