The study characterizes dental implant surfaces treated with phosphoric acid to assess the effects of acid treatment on blood cells and correlate them with cytokine levels. The implant surfaces examined were divided into untreated metal surface (US; n = 50), metal surface treated with phosphoric acid (ATS; n = 50) and cement surface (CS; n = 50) groups. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and rheometry. The implants were incubated with human blood mononuclear cells for 24 h, with surface rinsing in the ATS treatment. Cell viability was determined by colorimetric methods and cytokines in the culture supernatant were quantified using flow cytometry. In the ATS group, the surface porosity and contact surface were increased and plaques were observed on the surface. The blood flow and viscosity curves were similar among the treatments, and the high cell viability rates indicate the biocompatibility of the materials used. An increase in the levels of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α was observed in the ATS and CS groups. There were positive correlations between IL-10 and IL-2 levels and between IL-10 and IL-4 levels in the culture supernatant of the ATS group. The results suggest that implant surface treatment with phosphoric acid activates the production of inflammatory cytokines. The increased cytokine levels can modulate the immune response, thereby improving biofunctional processes and promoting the success of dental implants.

These data suggest that herbal mixture adsorbed by PEG microspheres has apoptotic effects on human MCF-7 breast cancer cells and is therefore a possible therapeutic alternative.

This study investigated the effects of BaCl adsorbed to polyethylene glycol (PEG) microspheres on human blood mononuclear cells (MN) co-cultured with breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7). The MCF-7 cells were obtained from the American Type Culture Collection and the blood mononuclear (MN) cells from volunteer donors. MN cells, MCF-7 cells and their co-culture (MN and MCF-7 cells) were pre-incubated for 24 h with or without 25 and 1000 pg L BaCl (Ba and Ba), PEG microspheres or 25 and 1000 pg L BaCl adsorbed to PEG microspheres (PEG-Ba and PEG-Ba). Rheological parameters and apoptosis were determined. Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry analyses revealed that BaCl was able to adsorb the PEG microspheres. The blood flow and viscosity curves were similar among the treatments. In general, apoptosis rates increased in co-cultured cells, co-cultured cells incubated with Ba and with PEG-Ba, but the highest rates were observed in co-cultured cells incubated with PEG-Ba. In conclusion, BaCl adsorbed to PEG microspheres exhibited dose-dependent antitumor effects against human MCF-7 breast cancer cells co-cultured with MN cells, thereby offering a possible therapeutic alternative for treating this disease provided they are administered at very low concentrations.