Effect of Plasma Treatment of Titanium Surface on Biocompatibility

Abstract

It was recently reported that implant osseointegration is affected by surface wettability. The relationship between hydrophilicity and cell adhesion was corroborated by numerous in vivo studies. Concentrated alkali improves the biocompatibility of pure titanium. Research was conducted on the mechanism by which this treatment increases hydrophilicity. In the present study, we used atmospheric pressure plasma processing to enhance the hydrophilicity of the material surface. The aim was to assess its influences on the initial adhesion of the material to rat bone marrow and subsequent differentiation into hard tissue. Superhydrophilicity was induced on a pure titanium surface with a piezobrush, a simple, compact alternative to the conventional atmospheric pressure plasma device. No structural change was confirmed by Scanning electron microscope (SEM) or scanning probe microscopy (SPM) observation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis presented with hydroxide formation and a reduction in the C peak. A decrease in contact angle was also observed. The treated samples had higher values for in vitro bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption, rat bone marrow (RBM) cell initial adhesion, alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP) activity tests, and factors related to bone differentiation than the untreated control. The present study indicated that the induction of superhydrophilicity in titanium via atmospheric pressure plasma treatment with a piezobrush affects RBM cell adhesion and bone differentiation without altering surface properties.

Effects of UV Treatment on Ceria-Stabilized Zirconia/Alumina Nanocomposite (NANOZR)

“…Hind limb bones of rats were aseptically excised after euthanizing rats with 4% isoflurane. The method of extraction and primary culture of bone marrow mesenchymal cells from rat femur is in accordance with our previous reports [32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41]. RBMs were cultured in 75-cm 2 culture flasks (BD Biosciences, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA).…”

“…The analysis method follows the manufacturer's instructions. According to our past report, RBMCs and RPLCs (after 24 h of culture) and HUVECs (after 6 h of culture) on the test and control NANOZR surfaces were stained and observed by confocal laser scanning microscopy [32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41].…”

“…In our previous report, we showed that this material surface could promote the adsorption of amelogenin, which helped regenerate hard and periodontal tissues [37]. Moreover, we have been exploring the use of UV treatment and atmospheric-pressure plasma treatment to modify the surfaces of various materials [38,39]. Since these treatments can be carried out relatively easily, active oxygen species on the surfaces of materials can be reduced, and the surfaces can be rendered superhydrophilic, making them well-suited for facilitating biofunctionalization of implants.…”

“…Since these treatments can be carried out relatively easily, active oxygen species on the surfaces of materials can be reduced, and the surfaces can be rendered superhydrophilic, making them well-suited for facilitating biofunctionalization of implants. While several reports have demonstrated the potential applications of these treatments for titanium surfaces [38,39], these treatments are necessary to impart biofunctionalization on zirconia surfaces to utilize the material for fabricating superior implants and for other biomedical applications.…”

Effects of Plasma Treatment on the Bioactivity of Alkali-Treated Ceria-Stabilised Zirconia/Alumina Nanocomposite (NANOZR)

“…We have already reported that atmospheric pressure plasma treatment of titanium implants increases the hydrophilicity of the material surface and affects the initial adhesion of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (rBMMSCs) as well as the ability to induce hard-tissue differentiation. Therefore, this procedure may also be applied to other materials such as zirconia [ 51 ].…”