Behavior of new hydroxyapatite/glucan composite in human serum.

Biomaterials for bone tissue regeneration, including polymer-based composites, are typically evaluated in vitro prior to the clinical trials. However, such composites tested in vivo may behave different due to the specific body conditions. For example, some composites implanted into the tissue acidified due to transient postoperative inflammation may unexpectedly swell which delays the wound healing. Such massive swelling in acidic medium was previously observed for new elastic hydroxyapatite (HAp)/ß-glucan biomaterial. However, in further clinical cases concerning the composite implantation in patients without significant inflammation indicators, no side effects were observed. Therefore, it was reasonable to test the effect of human serum of neutral pH (typical for noninflamed tissues) on the composite parameters, in particular volume changes. Thus, this article shows the characterization of physicochemical parameters of the composite after incubation (5 days) in human serum of neutral pH by means of weight and volume measurement, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, microcomputed tomography, mercury intrusion, and biochemical techniques. Results showed that human serum collected from healthy people caused no uncontrolled changes in weight and volume, porosity and mechanical properties of the composite. Therefore, this suggests the lack of volume change-related side effects of HAp/glucan composite in bone defects treatment if postoperative inflammation is prevented. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 2653-2664, 2018.

Unexpected reaction of new HAp/glucan composite to environmental acidification: Defect or advantage?

Natural polymer-based composites become very popular in design of biomaterials for bone tissue regeneration. Their rheological and mechanical properties are typically evaluated in vitro according to standard methods. However, in vivo such composites may behave completely different due to specific body conditions (e.g., inflammation-assisted acidification of tissue liquids). Such surprising phenomenon was observed for hydroxyapatite/ß-1, 3-glucan composite during alveolus extraction socket augmentation in people. Implanted composite showed unexpected massive swelling, caused stitches loosening and wound reopening 5 days after implantation. Acidic pH was selected as a potential factor affecting this phenomenon, as all implantations are accompanied by transient local inflammation and acidification. Composite parameters were therefore studied after 5 days of soaking in acidic medium by weight and volume measurement, SEM, XRD, FTIR, microCT, and mercury intrusion techniques. Results showed significant volume increase, pore size remodelling and ceramic phase rearrangement in the composite, accompanied by change of mechanical properties. Simple quantitative correction of amount of implanted composite was sufficient to control in vivo appearance of side effects, confirming that pH-related volume increase of HAp/glucan composite is not a disqualifying factor. This strongly suggests the necessity of very detailed and individually designed tests concerning all new polymer-based composite biomaterials before clinical trials. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1178-1190, 2017.

Modification of Lightweight Aggregates' Microstructure by Used Motor Oil Addition.

An admixture of lightweight aggregate substrates (beidellitic clay containing 10 wt % of natural clinoptilolite or Na-P1 zeolite) with used motor oil (1 wt %-8 wt %) caused marked changes in the aggregates' microstructure, measured by a combination of mercury porosimetry (MIP), microtomography (MT), and scanning electron microscopy. Maximum porosity was produced at low (1%-2%) oil concentrations and it dropped at higher concentrations, opposite to the aggregates' bulk density. Average pore radii, measured by MIP, decreased with an increasing oil concentration, whereas larger (MT) pore sizes tended to increase. Fractal dimension, derived from MIP data, changed similarly to the MIP pore radius, while that derived from MT remained unaltered. Solid phase density, measured by helium pycnometry, initially dropped slightly and then increased with the amount of oil added, which was most probably connected to changes in the formation of extremely small closed pores that were not available for He atoms.

Do Ca2+-adsorbing ceramics reduce the release of calcium ions from gypsum-based biomaterials?

Bone implantable materials based on calcium sulfate dihydrate dissolve quickly in tissue liquids and release calcium ions at very high levels. This phenomenon induces temporary toxicity for osteoblasts, may cause local inflammation and delay the healing process. Reduction in the calcium ion release rate by gypsum could be therefore beneficial for the healing of gypsum-filled bone defects. The aim of this study concerned the potential use of calcium phosphate ceramics of various porosities for the reduction of high Ca(2+) ion release from gypsum-based materials. Highly porous ceramics failed to reduce the level of Ca(2+) ions released to the medium in a continuous flow system. However, it succeeded to shorten the period of high calcium level. It was not the phase composition but the high porosity of ceramics that was found crucial for both the shortening of the Ca(2+) release-related toxicity period and intensification of apatite deposition on the composite. Nonporous ceramics was completely ineffective for this purpose and did not show any ability to absorb calcium ions at a significant level. Moreover, according to our observations, complex studies imitating in vivo systems, rather than standard tests, are essential for the proper evaluation of implantable biomaterials.

Physicochemical properties of silica gel coated with a thin layer of polyaniline (PANI) and its application in non-suppressed ion chromatography.

Physicochemical properties of a new sorbent and its potential application in non-suppressed ion chromatography (IC) have been investigated. The sorbent was obtained in a process of covering silica gel particles with a film of polyaniline (PANI). The properties of silica modified with polyaniline such as particle size, porosity, average quantity of polyaniline covering carrier and density of sorbent were determined. In our study the following methods were used: microscopic analysis, laser diffraction technique, combustion analysis, mercury porosimetry and helium pycnometry. Column with the newly obtained packing was used for the separation of inorganic anions. Optimized chromatographic system was successfully employed for analysis of iodide and bromide in selected pharmaceutical products (Bochnia salt and Iwonicz salt) applied in chronic respiratory disease. Analysis was carried out using 0.1M solution of HCl in mixture of methanol/water (50:50v/v) as a mobile phase; the flow rate was 0.3 mL min(-1), temperature was 24°C and λ=210 nm. Validation parameters such as correlation coefficient, RSD values, recovery, detection and quantification limits were found to be satisfactory.