title: Evaluation of the zein/inorganics composite on biocompatibility and osteoblastic differentiation.
abstract: We have previously studied the biocompatibility and mechanical properties of porous zein scaffolds. We based the study on the concept that composite scaffold materials, especially when combined with inorganic materials, are more suited to the mechanical and physiological demands of the host tissue than individual scaffold materials. We investigated the effect of zein/inorganic composite on the physical and biological properties of porous zein scaffolds, which were fabricated by salt-leaching. The composite was prepared by immersion in simulated body fluid. The hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated zein scaffold had the same porosity as the zein scaffold (over 75%). Using scanning electron microscopy, it was established that the morphology of pores located on the surface and within the porous scaffolds showed equally good pore interconnectivity with zein. However, the compressive Young's modulus decreased from 240.1+/-96.8 to 34.4+/-12.6MPa, and compressive strength decreased from 7.8+/-1.2 to 4.2+/-0.8MPa. From the in vitro test with human bone marrow stroma cells, the osteoblastic differentiation on the surface of the HA-coated zein scaffold was increased, as expressed by the alkaline phosphatase activity and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis for marker genes. From both the mechanical and biological evaluations, the HA-coated zein scaffold was found to be the optimal biomaterial for bone tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai JiaoTong University School of Medicine, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Hu
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Hua-Jie
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ting-Ting
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Xiao-Ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jin-Ye
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ke-Rong
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019245:Compressive Strength; D017886:Durapatite / Q000737:chemistry*; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D015028:Zein / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D015028:Zein; D017886:Durapatite