Biological properties of a new injectable porous microspherical chitosan/hydroxyapatite scaffold / 医学研究生学报

ABSTRACT

[Abstract ] Objective At present, the majority of injectable tissue engineering bones or carrier stents are gel , whose surface area , intensity, and hardness cannot satisfy the requirements of the repair of complex and varied bone and cartilage defects .This paper evaluated the new injectable microspherical porous chitosan/biological properties of the hydroxyapatite ceramic scaffold . Methods Injectable porous chitosan /hydroxyapatite composite microspheres with mass fractions of 30%, 50%, and 70% were prepared respectively . The hydroxyapatite ceramic ball was obtained by sintering with liquid nitrogen freezing ( liquid nitrogen group ) or without liquid nitrogen pro-cessing ( non-liquid nitrogen group ) as a new carrier of bone tissue engineering scaffold material .The microstructure of the scaffold was observed and the porosity measured under the scanning electron microscope .The mechanical properties were determined through biome-chanical experiments.Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were grown in the porous chitosan/hydroxyapatite ceramic scaf-fold followed by observation of the growth of the cells and validation of the biological fusion of the scaffold . Results No difference was observed with the naked eye in the ceramic scaffold of different mass fractions in the liquid nitrogen and non -liquid nitrogen groups . Scanning electron microscopy exhibited spherical shape , uniform size, and regular morphology of the ceramic scaffolds in both groups .A large number of irregular pores were seen in the surface of the microspherical ceramic scaffolds treated with liquid nitrogen but not in the surface of those not treated .With increased mass percentage of chitosan/hydroxyapatite , the internal pores were reduced and the interior structure compacted.In the liquid nitrogen group, the scaffold of 50%mass fraction had a significantly larger diameter ([0.48 ±0.11] mm), higher compression intensity ([1.75 ±0.14] MPa), and lower porosity ([79 ±2]%) than that of 30%mass fraction ([0.40 ± 0.08] mm, [1.21 ±0.12] MPa, and [87 ±1]%) (all P<0.05).Electron microscope scanning revealed well -grown HUVECs with multiple synapses in the porous tricalcium phosphate scaffold. C onclusion The porous chitosan /hydroxyapatite ceramic scaffold of 50%mass fraction treated with liquid nitrogen , with its strong mechanical intensity and high biological fusibility , can be used as a new carrier of bone tissue engineering scaffolds .