Response of osteoblasts and preosteoblasts to calcium deficient and Sisubstituted hydroxyapatites treated at different temperatures

Abstract

tHydroxyapatite (HA) is a calcium phosphate bioceramic widely used for bone grafting and augmenta-tion purposes. The biological response of HA can be improved through chemical and microstructuralmodifications, as well as by manufacturing it as macroporous implants. In the present study, calciumdeficient hydroxyapatite (CDHA) and Si substituted hydroxyapatite (SiHA) macroporous scaffolds havebeen prepared by robocasting. In order to obtain different microstructural properties, the scaffolds havebeen treated at 700◦C and 1250◦C. The scaffolds have been characterized and tested as supports forboth osteoblast growth and pre-osteoblast differentiation, as fundamental requisite for their potentialuse in bone tissue engineering. Morphology, viability, adhesion, proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, intra-cellular content of reactive oxygen species and interleukin-6 production were evaluated after contactof osteoblasts-like cells with CDHA and SiHA materials. An adequate interaction of osteoblasts-like cellsand preosteoblasts-like cells with all these scaffolds was observed. However, the higher bone cell pro-liferation and differentiation on CDHA and SiHA scaffolds treated at 1250◦C and the lower adsorptionof albumin and fibrinogen on these materials in comparison to those treated at 700◦C, suggest a bettertissue response to CDHA and SiHA materials treated at high temperature.