In Vivo Analysis of the Immune Response to Strontium- and Copper-doped Bioglass.

BACKGROUND: Bioglass is a highly adoptable bone substitute material which can be combined with so-called therapeutic ions. However, knowledge is poor regarding the influence of therapeutic ions on immune reactions and associated bone healing. Thus, the aim of this work was to investigate the influence of strontium- and copper-doped bioglass on the induction of M1 and M2 macrophages, as well as vascularization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two types of alkali glass were produced based on ICIE16 bioglass via the melt-quench method with the addition of 5 wt% copper or strontium (ICIE16-Cu and ICIE16-Sr). Pure ICIE16 and 45S5 bioglass were used as control materials. The ion release and chemical composition of the bioglass were investigated, and an in vivo experiment was subcutaneously performed on Sprague-Dawley rats. RESULTS: Scanning electron microscopy revealed significant differences in the surface morphology of the bioglass materials. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the efficiency of the doping process by showing the ion-release kinetics. ICIE16-Cu exhibited a higher ion release than ICIE16-Sr. ICIE16-Cu induced low immune cell migration and triggered not only a low number of M1 and M2 macrophages but also of blood vessels. ICIE16-Sr induced higher numbers of M1 macrophages after 30 days. Both bioglass types induced numbers of M2 macrophages comparable with those found in the control groups. CONCLUSION: Bioglass doping with copper and strontium did not significantly influence the foreign body response nor vascularization of the implantation bed in vivo. However, all the studied bioglass materials seemed to be biocompatible.

31P NMR characterisation of phosphate fragments during dissolution of calcium sodium phosphate glasses.

Phosphate glasses in the system P2O5-CaO-Na2O dissolve in aqueous solutions, and their solubility can be varied by changing the glass composition. This makes them of interest for use as controlled release materials, e.g. as degradable implants, devices for the release of trace elements or as fertilizers, but in order to tailor glass solubility to meet specific requirements, we need to further our understanding of their dissolution behaviour and mechanism. The structure of P2O5-CaO-Na2O glasses (P2O5 between 55 and 35 mol%; glass structure analysed by 31P MAS NMR) changed from a network (55 mol% P2O5) to short chains (35 mol%) with decreasing phosphate content. Solubility in Tris buffer showed significant differences with phosphate content and glass structure; dissolution varied between 90% (50 mol% P2O5) and 15% (35 mol%) at 24 h. Glasses with high phosphate contents significantly lowered the pH of the solution, while glasses with low phosphate contents did not. Glasses consisting of a phosphate network dissolved by a mechanism involving P-O-P bond hydrolysis, as no Q3 groups but increasing concentrations of Q0 (orthophosphate) were found in solution by solution 31P NMR. Glasses consisting of chains, by contrast, can dissolve by hydration of entire chains, but hydrolysis also occurred, resulting in formation of Q0 and small ring structures. This occurrence of hydrolysis (and thus formation of P-OH groups, which can be deprotonated) caused the pH decrease and explains the variation in solution pH with structure.