Diamond-like carbon (DLC) wear debris, which is often
composed
of different types of structures, is generated from DLC-modified artificial
joints in the human body, and its biocompatibility evaluation is especially
important to prevent wear-debris-induced implant failure. Here, RAW
264.7 macrophages (inflammatory-reaction assay) and primary mouse
osteoblasts (osteoblastogenesis assay) were employed to investigate
the toxicity of DLC wear particles (DWPs) by evaluation of cell viability
and morphology, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and quantitative
reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Relevant histopathological
analysis of rat joints was also performed in vivo. We found that DWPs with a relatively high sp2/sp3 ratio (graphite-phase tendency) manifested a higher cytotoxicity
and significant inhibition of osteoblastogenesis. DWPs with a relatively
low sp2/sp3 ratio (diamond-phase tendency) showed
good biocompatibility in vivo. The DWPs exhibiting
a low sp2/sp3 ratio demonstrated reduced secretion of TNF-α
and IL-6, along with increased secretion of TIMP-1, resulting in the
downregulation of MMP-2 and MMP-9 and upregulation of interleukin-10
(IL-10), thereby attenuating the inflammatory response. Moreover,
coculturing osteoblasts with DWPs exhibiting a low sp2/sp3 ratio resulted in an elevated OPG/RANKL ratio and increased
expression of OPG mRNA. Because of the absence of electrostatic repulsion,
DWPs with a relatively low sp2/sp3 ratio enhanced
bovine serum albumin adsorption, which favored cellular activities.
Cytotoxicity assessment of DWPs can help establish an evaluation system
for particle-related joint disease and can facilitate the clinical
application of DLC-coated prostheses.