The effect of titanium surface roughening on protein absorption, cell attachment, and cell spreading.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare properties of roughened and polished titanium with respect to their ability to attach to cells and bind to protein as well as their cell spreading behavior.


METHODS
Three different titanium surface treatments were compared for their ability to support cell attachment and spreading: sandblasted and acid-etched, resorbable blast media, and machine-polished titanium. The surface of the materials was characterized for surface roughness, surface energy, and surface chemistry. Osteoblast-like MG-63 cells were tested for in vitro attachment and spreading in the presence of serum proteins. Cell attachment was assessed by direct counting, dye binding, and microculture titanium assays. Cell spreading was determined by measuring area/cell in phalloidin-AlexaFluor 488 stained cells. Absorption of bovine serum albumin was determined by assay.


RESULTS
Scanning electron micrography and x-ray diffractometry confirmed increased surface roughness of the roughened materials. All 3 materials had similar albumin binding kinetics. Three different methods confirmed that roughened surfaces enhance early cell attachment to titanium in the presence of serum. Cells spread better on smoother machined surfaces than on the roughened surfaces.


CONCLUSIONS
Roughened titanium surfaces exhibited better early cell attachment than smooth surfaces in the presence of serum. The cells attached to roughened titanium were less spread than those attached to machined titanium. Although albumin binding was not different for roughened surfaces, it is possible that roughened surfaces preferentially bound to serum adhesive proteins to promote early cell attachment.
Nishimoto
Satoru K
SK
Departments of Molecular Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA. snishimoto@utmem.edu
Nishimoto
Miyako
M
Park
Sang-Won
SW
Lee
Kwang-Min
KM
Kim
Hyun-Seung
HS
Koh
Jeong-Tae
JT
Ong
Joo L
JL
Liu
Yongxing
Y
Yang
Yunzhi
Y
D001798:Blood Proteins; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D048429:Cell Size; D006801:Humans; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D011485:Protein Binding; D013499:Surface Properties; D014025:Titanium
D001798:Blood Proteins; D014025:Titanium