ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) treatment on the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts cultured on barium titanate/titanium alloy (BaTiO3) and zinc oxide/titanium alloy (ZnO) piezoelectric ceramic composite scaffolds.Methods The BaTiO3 and ZnO porous composite scaffolds were randomly divided into ultrasound (UBaTiO3 and UZnO) and control (CBaTiO3 and CZnO)groups,and MC3T3-E1 cells were cultured on the surface of the materials in each group.Cells in the ultrasound groups were subjected to a 20-min treatment LIPUS session daily,and the control group was sham-treated without the power source.The proliferation and differentiation rates of osteoblasts were evaluated using methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT),alkaline phosphatase (ALP),and osteocalcin (OCN) assays.Results Significant differences in the MTF values were observed between the UBaTiO3 and CBaTiO3 groups at day 4 (P ＜ 0.05) and between the UBaTiO3 and UZnO groups at days 1,4,and 7 (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with the CBaTiO3 group,the UBaTiO3 group showed significantly higher ALP activity and OCN levels at days 4 and 7 (P ＜ 0.05).Further,a significant difference in the ALP and OCN values between the UBaTiO3 and UZnO groups (P ＜ 0.05) was observed.Conclusion LIPUS promotes the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts on BaTiO3 and ZnO scaffolds.BaTiO3 scaffolds enable better promotion of osteogenesis under LIPUS treatment than ZnO scaffolds do.