Biomed Mater. 2021 Aug 20. doi: 10.1088/1748-605X/ac1f9e. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
The development of “smart” scaffolds has achieved notoriety among current prospects for bone repair, especially for chronic osteopathies, such as osteoporosis. Millions of individuals in the world suffer from poor bone healing due to osteoporosis. The objective of this work was to produce and characterize castor polyurethane scaffolds (Ricinus communis L.), as well as to evaluate its in vitro biocompatibility with stem cells and osteoinductive effect in vivo on bone failures in a leporid model of osteoporosis. The material was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and porosity analysis. Then, biocompatibility was assessed by adhesion using scanning electron microscopy and cytotoxicity in a 3- (4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl) -2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium assay. The osteoinductive effect in vivo was determined in bone defects in rabbit tibias (Oryctolagus cuniculus) submitted to castor bean scaffold, castor bean scaffold associated with stem cells and negative control, after four and eight weeks, evaluated by computed microtomography and histopathology. The scaffolds were porous, with an average pore size of 209.5 ± 98.2 µm, absence of cytotoxicity and positive cell adhesiveness in vitro. All the animals presented osteoporosis, characterized by multifocal osteoblastic inactivity and areas of mild fibrosis. There were no statistical differences between these treatments in the fourth week of treatment. In the eighth week, the treatment with castor bean scaffold alone induced greater bone formation when compared to the other groups, followed by treatment with an association between castor bean scaffold and stem cells. The castor bean scaffold was harmless to cell culture, favoring cell adhesiveness and proliferation, in addition to inducing bone neoformation in osteoporotic rabbits.
PMID:34416741 | DOI:10.1088/1748-605X/ac1f9e
