title: In vitro cell proliferation evaluation of porous nano-zirconia scaffolds with different porosity for bone tissue engineering.
abstract: The selection of scaffold materials and the optimization of scaffold morphological and mechanical properties are critical for successful bone tissue engineering. We fabricated porous scaffolds of nano-sized zirconia using a replication technique. The study aimed to explore the relationship between porosity, pore size, mechanical strength, cell adhesion, and cell proliferation in the zirconia scaffolds. Macro- and micro-structures and compressive strength were comparatively tested. Beagle bone marrow stromal cells were seeded onto the scaffolds to evaluate cell seeding efficiency and cell proliferation profile over 14 d of incubation. The zirconia scaffolds presented a complex porous structure with good interconnectivity of pores. By increasing the sinter cycles, the porosity and pore size of the scaffolds decreased, with mean values ranging from 92.7-68.0% and 830-577 μm, respectively, accompanied by increased compressive strengths of 0.6-4.4 MPa. Cell seeding efficiency and cell proliferation over the first 7 d of incubation increased when the porosity decreased, with cell viability highest in the scaffold with a porosity of 75.2%. After 7 d of incubation, the cell proliferation increased when the porosity increased, highest in the scaffolds with a porosity of 92.7%. These results showed that the zirconia scaffold with a porosity of 75.2% possesses favorable mechanical and biological properties for future applications in bone tissue engineering.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stomatology, Jinling Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510282, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yinglan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Ruiqiao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiaolei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Yicai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Jinke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Chengzhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018786:Bone Substitutes / Q000138:chemical synthesis; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019245:Compressive Strength; D004285:Dogs; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D058608:Nanopores / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D010012:Osteogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D016062:Porosity; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D013718:Tensile Strength; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D015040:Zirconium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D018786:Bone Substitutes; D015040:Zirconium; C028541:zirconium oxide