Xu Dong Li

Evaluation of Bioactivity and Cytocompatibility of Nano-Hydroxyapatite/Collagen Composite In Vitro

A nano-hydroxyapatie/collagen composite was fabricated by an in situ synthesis technique. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analyses for the composite indicated crystals on the collagen fibril matrix exhibited certain orientation. Bioactivity of the composite was investigated through in vitro tests in a sterile simulated body fluid (SBF) system. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis of the composite showed that the composite had the ability to induce the formation of calcium phosphate crystals on the surface of the composite in SBF. The cytocompatibility of the composite was evaluated by in vitro cytotoxicity test. Both the results from MTT assay and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations indicated that the composite had no adverse impact on cell proliferation and morphology. The results imply the composite is high bioactive and has good cytocompatibility.

Preparation and Characterization of Collagen by Hydrogel Formation Method

A kind of medical collagen was prepared by hydrogel formation method. Chemical and physical properties were investigated by FTIR, amino acid analysis, SDS-PAGE, carbohydrate content analysis, heavy metal content analysis. Degradation experiments in vivo and subsequent histological investigations were carried out to evaluate the biological performance. The results suggested that the collagen achieved is promising in tissue engineering scaffold materials for a long-term (more than 12 weeks) implantation application.

In Situ Synthesis of PVA-PAA-HA Interpenetrating Composite Hydrogel

A composite hydrogel with interpenetrating network structure was prepared via in-situ synthesis of calcium phosphates during the physical-chemical crosslinking of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). The hydrogel water content was tested. Fourier transform infrared absorption spectrum (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy were employed to evaluate the characteristics of the composite hydrogel. The results showed that the composite hydrogel had high water content and that the inorganic phase was poorly crystalline calcium phosphates. FT-IR confirmed that the interpenetrating network structure was formed between PVA and PAA. The chemical interactions between inorganic and organic phases were further investigated and discussed. The composite hydrogel with an interpenetrating network achieved using the present novel method could be a promising material for tissue engineering.

In Vitro and In Vivo Biocompatibility of Nano-Hydroxyapatite/Collagen Composites

A nano-grade hydroxyapatite/collagen composite was prepared by an in situ synthesis technique from calcium nitrate, diammoniun hydrogen phosphate, and a cowhide collagen sol at low temperature. XRD and TEM analyses of the composite indicated that crystals formed in the collagen fibril matrix were nanohydroxyapatite with low crystallinity. Biocompatibility of the composite was evaluated by in vitro cytotoxicity test and in vivo genotoxicity and sensitization test. No mutagenic activity of the composite was observed in mouse micronucleus tests. No evidence of dermal sensitization of the composite was found in guinea pig maximization tests. The results from a filter diffusion test indicated that the composite did not induce a cytotoxic behavior. All these results suggest that the composite has excellent biocompatibility.

Preparation of Nano-Ceramic Composite as Dental Prosthetic Material

Zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) nano-ceramic composite has excellent mechanical properties. Preparation of ZTA was conducted in the present study with an attempt to use as dental ceramics. On the basis of the study on the effect of the die pressing forces on the density and Vickers hardness of the sintered ZTA, additive aids TiO2, MgO, SiO2 and CaO were introduced in order to reduce the sintering temperature of ZTA nano-ceramic composite with good densification. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to evaluate the microstructural morphology. Phase composition was confirmed by using X-ray diffraction. Thermal analysis was further used to study the structural change. The results indicated that the ZTA product sintered at 1450°C had dense and uniform microstructure due to the combinative effect of additive aids, including the formation of an intermediate compound. This study suggested that such ZTA nano-ceramics had potential applications as dental prosthetic materials.

Investigation of a Collagen-Chitosan-Hydroxyapatite System for Novel Bone Substitutes

Collagen (Col) and chitosan (Chi) are both natural polymers and have received extensive investigation in recent years in the field of tissue engineering, but there are few reports on the introduction of hydroxyapatite (HA) into the Col-Ch system. In this study, based on the miscibility of these two polymers under proper condition, hydroxyapatite (HA) was synthesis in the Col-Chi system by in-situ co-precipitate method to give rise to a novel nanocomposite. The structural characterization of such Col-Ch-HA nano-materials was carried out by using FT-IR, XRD, SEM and TGA analyses with main components and Col-Chi samples used for comparison. It was found that there exist interactions between Col and Chi molecules. The nucleation and growth of inorganic phase occurs in the Col-Chi system and final products are uniform dispersion of nano-sized HA in the Col-Chi network without obvious phase separation. This novel nanocomposite would be a promising material for bone tissue engineering.

Collagen-Calcium Phosphate Hybrids for Bone Grafts: A Novel Route Leading to High Initial Strengths

An organic/inorganic composite hydrogel route was used to prepare collagen-calcium phosphate hybrids with high mechanical strengths, via in-situ mineral synthesis during collagen fibrillogenesis followed by dehydration. An array of characterization techniques including X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses confirmed that the final products are analogous to natural bone. A three-point bending strength of 70 MPa, much higher than the values reported in the literature, was recorded in the present case, due to the three dimensional network structure achieved between inorganic and organic phases. This innovative method provides an efficient route to produce bone grafts with the desirable mechanical properties which are dependent upon the actual inorganic/organic ratio and water content.

Composition Optimization of Zirconia Toughened Alumina for Dental Ceramics

The aim of this study was to optimize sintering aids and processing parameters for zirconia toughened alumina (ZTA) nano-ceramics with optimal properties as dental ceramics. Additive agents (TiO2, MgO, SiO2), dry pressing forces and sintering temperatures are very important for preparation of structural ceramics. In the present study, density and Vickers hardness measurement, SEM, and XRD analysis were employed to investigate the effects of these on the final products. The relevant results showed that higher pressing force led to an increase in the density and Vickers hardness of the sintered ceramics. Among the four groups of sintered nanoceramics with different ratios of alumina and zirconia, and combinations of additive agents, the best densification was achieved in the sample from Group 2# containing 1.05wt% MgO after sintered at 1450°C, as indicated by SEM observation. XRD analysis confirmed the formation of MgAl2O4 as an intermediate compound. The existence of TiO2 in the additive agents was in favor of the acquisition of high densification. The measured values for the density and Vickers hardness indicated that the sintered ZTA nano-ceramics would be a potential material for dental prosthetic applications.

Development of Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)-Collagen-Hydroxyapatite Nanohybrids for Tissue Grafting

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) was introduced during in situ synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HA) in neutral collagen (COL) solution and final PVA-COL-HA nanohybrids were achieved via sequential steps including gelation by fibrillogenesis, freezing-thawing physical crosslinking, removal of unreacted residues and dehydration. This method is expected to endow the pure PVA with good bioactivity and meanwhile the presence of elastic PVA would improve the properties of COL-HA composites. The phase, microstructure and possible molecular interactions of the achieved PVA-COL-HA nanohybrids were analyzed by using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that the inorganic phase is poorly crystallized apatite with a nanometer size due to the confinement of organic macromolecules which forms a network structure.

Experimental Study on the Osteoinduction of Calcium Phosphate Biomaterials In Vivo and the Capability of Supporting Osteoblast Proliferation In Vitro

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the response of osteoblasts to the calcium phosphate with different surface modification, and to evaluate the osteoinductive capabilities of these biomaterials. 60HA/40α-TCP ceramics sintered at 1250oC was applied in this study. The ceramic cylinder with F5mm×8mm and slice with F10mm×1mm were prepared respectively. One thirds of the ceramics were formed bone-like apatite (BLA), and the surface of another one thirds was modified with collagen. Osteoblasts (1×106/ml) were co-cultured with the three kinds of thin slices for 12h, 24h and 48h. SEM observation was applied to evaluate if the surface modification and BLA formation could affect the attachment and proliferation of osteoblast in vitro. The three kinds of cylinder samples were implanted in dog muscle to evaluate their differences in osteoinduction. Cells grew in multi-layers and well attached to the surface and proliferated well in the group of collagen and HA/TCP. In untreated and BLA precipitated group, cells did not attach to the surface well. Osteoinduction was good in BLA precipitated group and the amount of bone formed was higher; in untreated group and collagen-treated group, no bone formation was observed in the tested period. This result indicated that the scaffold used in cell-materials composites in vitro and that in osteoinductive material based tissue engineering in vivo was not same.