Formation Of Hydroxycarbonate Apatite Layer Research Articles

The influence of cobalt incorporation and cobalt precursor selection on the structure and bioactivity of sol–gel-derived bioactive glass

Cobalt (Co) is a potential therapeutic ion used to enhance angiogenesis through a stabilizing effect on hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α), and its incorporation into the structure of bioactive glass is a promising strategy to enable sustained local delivery of Co to a wound site or bone defect. Here Co-releasing bioactive glasses were obtained through the sol–gel method, comparing cobalt nitrate and cobalt chloride as precursors. The effect of using different Co precursors on the sol–gel synthesis and in the obtained bioactive glass structure, chemical composition, morphology, dissolution behaviour, hydroxycarbonate apatite (HCA) layer formation was investigated. When the chloride salt was used as Co precursor, evidence of crystalline cobalt (II, III) oxide (Co3O4) phase formation was found, along with the presence of Co3+ species as evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), whereas an amorphous glass containing mainly Co2+ species was obtained when the nitrate salt was the Co source. The presence of a crystalline phase decreased the surface area and pore volume of the final glass, consequently reducing the Co-release rate. Evidence of HCA layer formation after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF) was still found when different precursors were used, although the rate of formation was reduced by the presence of Co. Therefore, this study showed that Co incorporation and the proper selection of the precursor could affect the final material structure, and properties, and should be considered when designing new bioactive glass compositions for tissue engineering applications.

Preparation and in vitro investigation on bioactivity of magnesia-contained bioactive glasses

Mg plays an important role in the human skeletal system as it stimulates the bone formation and reduces bone resorption. Magnesium has been substituted into SiO2–Na2O–CaO–P2O5 bioactive glass. In the present work, the bioactive glasses were designed to enhance bioactivity. Bioactivity of these glasses was assessed by the immersion of the samples in simulated body fluid (SBF) for different time periods. The formation of hydroxy carbonate apatite (HCA) layer was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and FTIR spectrometry which had shown the HCA layer formation and growth. The formation of HCA layer was found to increase on the surface of the SBF immersed bioactive glasses with increasing magnesia contents in the glass. In vitro cell culture investigations such as viability, proliferation, and cell attachment were studied using human osteosarcoma U2-OS cell lines. The in vitro results of new magnesium containing bioactive glasses had shown improved bioactivity as well as better biocompatibility.

Effect of OH Content on the Bioactivity of Sol-Gel Derived Glass Foam Scaffolds

Bioactive glass scaffolds have been developed with interconnected macropore networks, with pore diameters in excess of 500µm and apertures in excess of 100µm, by foaming sol-gel derived bioactive glasses. Bioactive glasses bond to bone by forming a hydroxycarbonate apatite (HCA) layer on their surface on contact with body fluid, which is similar to the composition of the apatite in bone. The aim of this work was to investigate the how changing the atomic structure of the glass affects HCA layer formation. Scaffolds were synthesised at 3 sintering temperatures and were characterised using 29Si and proton MAS-NMR, from which the silica network connectivity and Si-OH groups were quantified. The rate of HCA layer formation decreased as the number of Si-OH groups decreased, confirming the role of Si-OH groups in HCA layer formation.

Formation of Hydroxycarbonate Apatite Layer on Poly(Lactic Acid) Composites in Simulated Body Fluid

Hydroxycarbonate apatite (HCA), which formed on a poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composite membrane containing vaterite or calcium chloride after soaking in simulated body fluid, was examined to clarify the importance of the ceramic phases in the composites. FT-IR spectra showed that the ratio of CO3/PO4 in the infrared adsorption bands of HCA formed on the PLA composite containing vaterite was much larger than that of HCA formed on the PLA composite containing calcium chloride. Substitution of carbonate ion in hydroxyapatite is believed to be strongly influenced by ceramic phases in the composites. The zeta potentials of HCA formed on the PLA composite containing vaterite or calcium chloride was -6 mV or -17 mV, respectively. The zeta potential may be influenced by the amount of carbonate ion in hydroxyapatite.

Highly bioactive P 2O 5–Na 2O–CaO–SiO 2 glass-ceramics

Glasses having a chemical composition between 1Na 2O–2CaO–3SiO 2 (1N2C3S) and 1.5Na 2O–1.5CaO–3SiO 2, containing 0, 2, 4 and 6 wt% P 2O 5, were crystallized to several volume percent through thermal treatments in the range 550–700 °C. These glasses and glass-ceramics were exposed to a simulated body fluid solution (SBF-K9 which is close to human plasma) for several time periods. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to determine the rate of hydroxy carbonate apatite (HCA) formation. Crystallization decreased the kinetics but did not inhibit the development of a HCA layer, even in fully crystallized ceramics. The onset time for crystallization of HCA varied from 8 h for a glass containing 6% P 2O 5 to 35 h for a fully crystallized 1.07Na 2O–2CaO–3SiO 2 ceramic. The HCA layer formation of these compositions in `in vitro' tests is much faster than in commercial bioactive materials such as synthetic hydroxyapatite ceramic, A/W glass-ceramic, Ceravital and Bioverit, for which the onset time usually takes at least seven days. FTIR and inductive coupled plasma studies confirmed the formation of an apatite layer which indicates bioactivity in the 1N2C3S crystal phase. X-ray diffraction experiments show that the phosphorus ions are kept in solid solution in the crystal phase. An apatite-like compound only appeared when the specimens were submitted to very long additional thermal treatments. The bioactivity of commercial materials is based on the apatite crystal phase, while the high level of bioactivity of this new generation of glass-ceramics is attained due to the combination of two mechanisms acting simultaneously; a non-phosphate bioactive crystal phase (1N2C3S) and the phosphorus ions in solid solution which are easily released from the structure, promoting a faster HCA layer formation similar to 45S5 Bioglass ®.

In vitro analysis of the stimulation of bone formation by highly bioactive apatite- and wollastonite-containing glass-ceramic: released calcium ions promote osteogenic differentiation in osteoblastic ROS17/2.8 cells.

We analyzed the mechanisms of the efficient bone formation on the osteoconductive surface of apatite- and wollastonite-containing glass-ceramic (AW) by using an in vitro system. AW releases Ca ions and bonds to bone via a submicron-thick hydroxycarbonate apatite (HCA) layer. AW disks were conditioned with simulated body fluid (SBF) to grow HCA layers, and the amount of released Ca ion was regulated by modulating the conditioning time from 24 to 240 h. Surface-transformed AW disks increased alkaline phosphatase (AP) activity in osteoblastic ROS17/2.8 cells by 1.5- to threefold over unconditioned disks. AW disks conditioned for 24 h [AW(24)], which had a homogeneous, submicron-thick apatite layer and increased extracellular ionized Ca concentration ([Ca(2+)](e)) in the culture medium to the greatest extent, enhanced the AP activity the most. High [Ca(2+)](e) promoted osteogenic differentiation in ROS17/2.8 cells: It increased AP activity in a dose-dependent manner by up to 1.6-fold, and up-regulated the expression of AP, osteocalcin (OC), and transforming growth factor-beta1 mRNAs in dose- and time-dependent manners. AW(24) enhanced AP activity in ROS17/2.8 cells as much as AW disks conditioned with SBF containing serum to exhibit in vivo surface-structure changes. AW(24) increased AP activity in ROS17/2.8 cells by 1.6-fold and enhanced the expression of AP and OC mRNAs significantly, compared with sintered hydroxyapatite (HA). After implantation of AW and HA in the distal metaphyses of rabbit femurs, thin, newly formed bone lined with cuboidal, osteoblast-like cells was characteristically observed adjacent to the AW surface within 8 days. These results provide evidence for the hypothesis that AW stimulates bone formation on its surface by increasing [Ca(2+)](e) to promote the HCA layer formation and the differentiation of osteogenic cells.