<i>In Vitro</i> Evaluation of Silicon-Containing Apatite Fiber Scaffolds for Bone Tissue Engineering

Abstract

The aim of the present investigation was to examine Si release from the silicon-containing apatite fiber scaffold (Si-AFS) and the biocompatibility of the Si-AFS. We have successfully synthesized silicon-containing apatite fibers (Si-AF) by a homogenous precipitation method. Three-dimensional Si-AFS were fabricated using these Si-AFs. The concentrations of Si in the starting solution were 0 (AF) and 0.8 (0.8Si-AF) mass%. The 0.8Si-AFS1000 were fabricated by firing Si-AF slurry compacts (carbon/Si-AF [w/ ratio: 10/1) at 1300 °C for 5 h. Solubility experiments were carried out in 0.05 mol/dm3 Tris-HCl buffer solutions at pH 7.30 using 0.8Si-AFS1000 (porosity: ~98%), together with Si-free AFS1000 (~98%) for 21 days. The Ca2+, PO43- and SiO44- concentrations in the solution were determined by inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The biocompatibility of the Si-AFS was examined in vitro using osteoblastic cell, MC3T3-E1 for 21 days. The results of the ICP-AES analysis indicated that the amount of SiO44- ions released from 0.8Si-AFS1000 rapidly increased at 1 day, and then the released SiO44- ions remained constant over a period for 21 days. The cells seeded on/in the 0.8Si-AFS1000 well-proliferated as compared to those on/in the AFS1000. Consequently, we can conclude that the 0.8Si-AFS offers as a potential novel scaffold material, creating a three-dimensional cell culture environment.

Silicon-containing apatite fiber scaffolds with enhanced mechanical property express osteoinductivity and high osteoconductivity

“…Recently, we successfully synthesized siliconcontaining apatite fibers (Si-AFs) and fabricated a silicon-containing apatitefiber scaffold (Si-AFS) [11]. Our previous research showed that Si-AFS had a threedimensional cell culture environment and that osteoblastic cells in/on Si-AFS achieved greater proliferation better than those in/on AFS due to eluted Si ions [12,13]. This result is in good agreement with a report by Keeting et al [14].…”

Development of bioceramics with life functions by harnessing crystallographic anisotropy and their biological evaluations

“…In addition, we succeeded in synthesizing silicon-containing AF (Si-AF), in which silicon (Si) was added to the abovementioned single-crystal HAp particles with preferred orientation to the c-axis (i.e., AF). 57) Silicon is known to promote bone formation. 58) Porous Si-containing HAp ceramics (hereafter, Si-HAp ceramics) with porosities of 70 and 85 % can be fabricated easily by adding carbon beads with diameters of 20 and 150¯m as pore-forming agents into Si-AFs, follow by firing the green compacts at 1300°C for 5 h in a steam atmosphere.…”