2. Physicochemical Properties of β-TCP/Mg
The SEM results show that the β-TCP/Mg particles exhibited Mg on their surfaces while maintaining the similar roughness and morphology of the β-TCP control particle structures (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Scanning electron microscope images of the surface view of the obtained hydrothermally treated vs. nontreated β-TCP. (A) β-TCP/Mg apparent fusion of MgO ions with the β-TCP surface is observed. (B) β-TCP control.
In vitro, the EDS results demonstrated that a 1.4 weight percentage of Mg was uniformly distributed on the β-TCP/Mg surface while maintaining a 19.7 wt% P and slightly inferior 35.9 wt% Ca compared to the 20.8 wt% P and 39.2 wt% Ca found in the control β-TCP (Table 1).
Table 1. Elemental results by EDS (Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry).
Chemical Element |
β-TCP/Mg (Test) |
β-TCP (Control) |
Weight (%) |
Weight (%) |
Mg |
1.4 |
0.0 |
Ca |
35.9 |
39.2 |
P |
19.7 |
20.8 |
O |
43.0 |
40.1 |
Ca |
0.0 |
0.0 |
The XPS results exhibited no statistically significant differences between the Ca/P ratio of β-TCP/Mg particles (1.40) and that of β-TCP particles (1.38). However, both β-TCP particles had slightly lower Ca/P ratios than the previously described 1.5 stoichiometric TCP ratio
[16]. The (O1s) mean value for β-TCP/Mg was 48.43%, and that for the β-TCP control was 49.74%. The values for the β-TCP control and β-TCP/Mg samples were 11.80% and 8.79% (P2p), respectively. At the same time, the Ca2p values were 12.36% in β-TCP/Mg and 16.36% in the β-TCP control (
Table 2;
Figure 2).
Figure 2. XPS spectra. Untreated beta-TCP and beta-TCP/Mg fragments reveal Ca, P, and O. Limited quantities of Mg were present in the β-TCP/Mg samples.
Table 2. XPS analyses (%).
Group |
O1s |
Na1s |
Mg1s |
Si2p |
P2p |
S2p |
Ca2p |
Mg/Ca |
P/Ca |
P/Ca + Mg |
β-TCP/Mg |
48.43 |
3.67 |
2.08 |
0.74 |
8.79 |
0.39 |
12.36 |
16.80% |
71.10% |
60.90% |
β-TCP |
49.74 |
|
|
|
11.8 |
0.83 |
16.36 |
0.00% |
72.10% |
72.10% |
Figure 3 Illustrates that MgO incorporation had no significant effect on the lattice parameters detected by XRD in the β-TCP structure, contrary to what was found in a study where Mg2+ was doped at the phase transformation temperature of β-TCP ceramics. Nevertheless, the β-TCP/Mg showed diffraction patterns corresponding to the β-TCP (JCPDS file no. 09-169, International Center for Diffraction Data) and MgO reference peaks (JCPDS file no. 78-0430, International Center for Diffraction Data), indicating that the MgO powders were well-incorporated on β-TCP graft’s surface overall.
Figure 3. X-ray diffraction patterns of β-TCP/Mg and β-TCP control particles generating the same intense sharp-peak samples.
The FTIR results reinforced the XRD findings by presenting similar high-intensity peaks at the 1043 and 1120 cm−1 absorption bands in the β-TCP/Mg and untreated β-TCP particles (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Beta-TCP/Mg and beta-TCP control have identical FTIR spectra absorption peak heights.
3. In Vitro Biocompatibility
The in vitro cytotoxicity and proliferation of MG-63 at 1, 7, and 21 days in the β-TCP/Mg and untreated β-TCP media behaved according to ISO10993-5. The results are shown in Figure 5. The percentages of cells cultivated in the media with the β-TCP/Mg particles were 144.45%, 168.92%, and 709.88% on days 1, 7, and 21, respectively. Conversely, MG-63 proliferation on the nontreated β-TCP was 105.22%, 132.84%, and 611.90% on days 1, 7, and 21, respectively.
Figure 5. MG-63 cell proliferation measured using WST-1 on days 1, 7, and 21. * p ≤ 0.05, ** p ≤ 0.01, *** p ≤ 0.001, and **** p ≤ 0.0001.
β-TCP/Mg improved MG-63 cell proliferation and displayed excellent biocompatibility with a statistically significant difference compared to the cells cultured with nontreated β-TCP and control cells (Figure 5). However, the cells cultured with untreated β-TCP had proliferated significantly more than control cells (p < 0.0001) by day 21. Additionally, when phalloidin/DAPI immunofluorescence staining was used, it was determined that the cells on β-TCP control and β-TCP/Mg proliferated and presented with a spindle shape and filopodial extensions (Figure 6).
Figure 6. Direct cell culture with DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole)/phalloidin fluorescent imaging at 20× after 24 h. (A) Beta-tricalcium phosphate; (B) Beta-tricalcium phosphate/Mg.
Despite having significantly more cell proliferation, as observed in WST-1, the ALP test showed MG-63 cultivation with β-TCP/Mg, with 112.92% cultivation at 1 day, 139.95% cultivation at day 7, and 147.37% cultivation at day 21 when compared to the number of cells in the β-TCP/medium or in the medium alone after 21 days of culture. Furthermore, the cells produced higher ALP when cultured in the β-TCP/Mg medium than when cultured in the β-TCP control or in medium alone at 21 days (p < 0.05; Figure 7).
Figure 7. ALP activity of MG-63 after being cultured for 1, 7, and 21 days with the β-TCP/Mg, untreated β-TCP, or just DMEM as control. * p ≤ 0.05, ** p ≤ 0.01, and *** p ≤ 0.001.
Nonetheless, high concentrations of Mg ions reduced osteoblast differentiation and inhibited the expression of specific osteogenic markers
[17], as was seen with the gene expression in this study (
Figure 8).
Figure 8. Relative expression BSP, OC, ALP, and OPG of MG-63 cells maintained in beta-tricalcium phosphate/Mg, beta-tricalcium phosphate, or just DMEM (control). * p ≤ 0.05.
In vivo, the β-TCP/Mg particle grafts started creating new bone while degrading critical calvaria size defect healing in the New Zealand white rabbits, as seen in micro-CT results, from week 2 to week 7.
During week 2, new bone formation defects in the calvarial region packed with untreated β-TCP, β-TCP/Mg, and control regenerated 21.74% ± 4.24%, 22.73% ± 5.39%, and 14.54% ± 5.23%, respectively. The defects that were treated with beta-TCP control and beta-TCP/Mg were significantly superior in bone formation than in control defects (p < 0.05, Table 3, Figure 9).
Figure 9. Micro-CT new bone area/tissue area formation, 40×. * p ≤ 0.05, ** p ≤ 0.01, and **** p ≤ 0.0001.
Table 3. Bone formation by Microcomputed Tomography scan (μCT; %).
|
Week Two |
Week Six |
Week Eight |
β-TCP/Mg |
22.73 ± 5.39 |
28.36 ± 1.70 |
32.65 ± 1.24 |
β-TCP |
21.74 ± 4.24 |
24.73 ± 4.41 |
28.98 ± 2.65 |
Control |
14.54 ± 5.23 |
15.58 ± 5.45 |
24.1 ± 4.05 |
Up to 28.36% ± 1.70% new bone regeneration was achieved by β-TCP/Mg during week 6, which was significantly higher than that observed for the β-TCP control (24.73% ± 4.41%) and control groups (15.58% ± 5.45%). Statistically significant differences were exhibited between both the beta-TCP/Mg and beta-TCP (p < 0.01) with β-TCP/Mg and the control group (p < 0.05) (Table 3, Figure 9).
At eight weeks, β-TCP/Mg induced 32.65% ± 1.24% bone regeneration. In addition, new bone formation was significantly more extensive in the β-TCP/Mg group than it was in the β-TCP control (28.98% ± 2.65%) or in the control group (24.1% ± 4.05%) (p < 0.05, Table 3, Figure 9).
Additionally, control defects did not close and maintained the space that they took up. In contrast, the β-TCP/Mg and untreated β-TCP particles managed to yield greater defect closure and space maintenance at eight weeks (Table 3, Figure 9).
4. In Vivo Biocompatibility
The control group regenerated 10.14% ± 2.11% new bone, which did not differ significantly from the 10.42% ± 4.89% of the β-TCP control group and the 11.48% ± 4.88% of the β-TCP/Mg group (p < 0.05) (Table 4, Figure 10). β-TCP/Mg had faster graft degradation, with 27.73 ± 12.50% graft remaining, while the β-TCP control had a lower graft resorption rate with 41.10 ± 6.80% (p < 0.05) (Figure 10).
Figure 10. Histologic BA/TA new bone formation and remaining graft 40×. * p ≤ 0.05.
Table 4. Histology of newly formed bone (%).
|
Week Two |
Week Four |
Week Eight |
β-TCP/Mg |
11.48 ± 4.88 |
24.42 ± 4.53 |
31.62 ± 3.03 |
β-TCP |
10.42 ± 4.89 |
15.07 ± 7.91 |
24.94 ± 3.00 |
Control |
10.14 ± 2.11 |
12.73 ± 3.26 |
19.73 ± 3.37 |
On week 6, more additional new bone was found within the particles. The β-TCP control generated 15.07 ± 7.91% more new bone than the control group did: 12.73% ± 3.26%. Additionally, β-TCP/Mg regenerated 24.42% ± 4.53% new bone, which was greater than that of the control (p < 0.001) and β-TCP control (p < 0.05) defects (Table 4, Figure 10). Both β-TCP/Mg and β-TCP had similar graft resorption rates with 27.30 ± 14.84% and 26.20 ± 20.1%, respectively.
On week 8, the graft particles started reabsorbing while regenerating new bone formation, and bone maturation was able to be seen through defects because of the particle scaffold characteristics. The β-TCP/Mg (31.62% ± 3.03%) had better bone regeneration over the β-TCP control (p < 0.05) and the control (p < 0.001). Moreover, the β-TCP control group (24.94% ± 3.00%) had significantly higher amounts of new bone tissue than the control group (19.73% ± 3.37%, p < 0.05), as shown in Table 4 as well as in Figure 10. The graft resorption rate had a similar tendency to the one observed at week 6, with both grafts having no statistically significant differences, with β-TCP/Mg and β-TCP show rates of 34.25 ± 3.40% and 31.57 ± 3.94%, respectively.
For the critical defects that were treated with β-TCP/Mg (histologic new bone formation: 31.62% ± 3.03%; micro-CT new bone formation: 32.65 ± 1.24), the new bone area was 4% greater on average than those treated with the β-TCP control (histologic new bone formation: 24.94% ± 3.00%; micro-CT new bone formation: 28.98 ± 2.65) (p < 0.05, Table 3 and Table 4).