title: Light induced hydrophilicity and osteoblast adhesion promotion on amorphous TiO2.
abstract: We have studied the effect of the UV induced superhydrophilic wetting of TiO(2) thin films on the osteoblasts cell adhesion and cytoskeletal organization on its surface. To assess any effect of the photo-catalytic removal of adventitious carbon as a factor for the enhancement of the osteoblast development, 100 nm amorphous TiO(2) thin layers were deposited on polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a substrate well known for its poor adhesion and limited wettability and biocompatibility. The TiO(2) /PET materials were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy and their wetting behavior under light illumination studied by the sessile drop method. The amorphous TiO(2) thin films showed a very poor photo-catalytic activity even if becoming superhydrophilic after illumination. The illuminated samples recovered partially its initial hydrophobic state only after their storage in the dark for more than 20 days. Osteoblasts (HOB) were seeded both on bare PET and on TiO(2) /PET samples immediately after illumination and also after four weeks storage in darkness. Cell attachment was much more efficient on the immediately illuminated TiO(2)/PET samples, with development of focal adhesions and cell traction forces. Although we cannot completely discard some photo-catalytic carbon removal as a factor contributing to this cell enhanced attachment, our photodegradation experiments on amorphous TiO(2) are conclusive to dismiss this effect as the major cause for this behavior.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Sevilla (CSIC-Universidad Sevilla), Seville, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terriza
authors.forename: Aránzazu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Díaz-Cuenca
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yubero
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barranco
authors.forename: Agustín R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: González-Elipe
authors.forename: Juan Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gonzalez Caballero
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vilches
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Salido
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000528:radiation effects; D002460:Cell Line; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008027:Light; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates / Q000737:chemistry*; D014025:Titanium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; C009495:titanium dioxide; D014025:Titanium