PEEK‑biphasic bioceramic composites promote mandibular defect repair and upregulate BMP‑2 expression in rabbits

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate whether bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) was involved in the repair of mandibular defects using polyether-ether-ketone biphasic bioceramic (PEEK-BBC) composites in rabbits. PEEK-BBC composites with abundant and interconnected pores were prepared by calcination and characterized by scanning electron microscope. A mandibular defect model in rabbits was established using dental grinder to produce a square hole. A total of 60 rabbits were divided into four groups: Control, sham, surgery, and PEEK. In the PEEK group, the holes were filled with the PEEK-BBC composite stents. In the surgery group, the holes were produced but not filled with the composite stents. In the sham group, only the molar grooves were exposed and grinding was not performed. Animals without any treatment served as the control group. The success rate of model establishment was 100%. At 4, 8, and 16 weeks after the model was established, samples were collected from the molding sites. Bone repair was evaluated by H&E staining and Goldner trichrome staining. Bone structures in both control and sham groups were intact. A small number of osteocytes were observed in the surgery group. However, in the PEEK group, osteocytes were already evidently present in the composites at 4 weeks after surgery. At 8 and 16 weeks, there were large numbers of osteocytes in the pores of the composites. The mRNA and protein expression levels of BMP-2 were determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting, respectively. The mRNA and protein expression levels of BMP-2 between the control and sham groups were similar and were continuously stable. However, following defect treatment, BMP-2 mRNA and protein expression was upregulated, which was enhanced by the PEEK-BBC composites. In conclusion, PEEK-BBC composites promoted the growth of osteocytes and repaired mandibular defects in rabbits, potentially via the upregulation of BMP-2 expression.

The Impact of Bioceramic Scaffolds on Bone Regeneration in Preclinical In Vivo Studies: A Systematic Review

“…Only qualitative data extracted from each study were synthesized in analytic tables. In seven of the 13 included studies, New Zealand rabbits were used [16,[115][116][117][118][119][120], while six studies were conducted in rats, of which three used the Sprague-Dawley strain [17,121,122], two the Wistar strain [123,124] and one the Lewis strain [125]. The calvarial critical-sized defect was the most used model for assessing new bone formation (Table 3).…”

“…Notably, all the included studies reported uneventful healing outcomes and no relevant adverse reactions. Two studies reported on the use of polyether-ether-ketone/odontogenic biphasic bioceramic composites (PEEK-BBC) prepared via calcination for the treatment of mandibular bone defects [16,115]. Porous PEEK-BBC composites were found to promote bone healing in vivo, potentially via the upregulation of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), as suggested by the higher mRNA and protein expression levels of BMP-2 in the presence of PEEK-BBC composites, than in bone defects left empty [16].…”

“…Two studies reported on the use of polyether-ether-ketone/odontogenic biphasic bioceramic composites (PEEK-BBC) prepared via calcination for the treatment of mandibular bone defects [16,115]. Porous PEEK-BBC composites were found to promote bone healing in vivo, potentially via the upregulation of bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), as suggested by the higher mRNA and protein expression levels of BMP-2 in the presence of PEEK-BBC composites, than in bone defects left empty [16]. Moreover, when vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was encapsulated into PEEK-BBC composites, a relative upregulation of VEGF at 8 and 16 weeks of healing was observed compared to jaw defects left empty [115].…”

“…The variety in chemical composition of bioceramics contributes to their adjustable mechanical features, bioactivity, and degradation rate. Another strategy to produce scaffolds with tailored mechanical properties and resorbability, based on application needs, consists of the development of composite materials, containing bioceramics and polymers in different ratios [16,17]. To improve the performances of bioceramic scaffolds, the incorporation of growth factors stimulating osteogenesis and angiogenesis has been described [18,19].…”

The Influence of Eggshell on Bone Regeneration in Preclinical In Vivo Studies

“…The studies included with the rabbit model all have the calvaria bone defect. Other research has used other sites such as the mandibular bone [ 38 , 40 ], femoral defect [ 32 ] and radial defect [ 41 ].…”