title: Enhanced Biological Behavior of In Vitro Human Gingival Fibroblasts on Cold Plasma-Treated Zirconia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether atmospheric-pressure dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma treatment of zirconia enhances its biocompatibility with human gingival fibroblasts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The zirconia disks were divided into four groups and treated using helium atmospheric-pressure dielectric-barrier-discharge plasmas for 30, 60 or 90 s or left untreated. The surface morphology, wettability and chemical elements were analyzed. Fibroblasts density, morphology, morphometry and attachment-related genes expression were measured at different time points from 3 to 72 h.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After plasma treatment, the surface morphology and roughness remained the same, while the contact angle decreased from 78.31° to 43.71°, and the surface C/O ratio decreased from 3.17 to 0.89. The surficial areas and perimeters of HGFs were increased two-fold in the treated groups at 3 h. Fibroblasts density increased on treated disks at all time points, especially the ones treated for 60 s. Attachment-related genes in the groups treated for 30 and 60 s were significantly higher at 3 and 24 h.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The helium atmospheric-pressure dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma treatment enhances the biological behavior of fibroblasts on zirconia by increasing the expression of attachment-related genes within 24 h and promoting the cell density during longer culture times. Wettability of zirconia, an important physicochemical property, has a vital influence on the cell behaviors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School of Stomatology, 22# Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School of Stomatology, 22# Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School of Stomatology, 22# Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Qiang
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School of Stomatology, 22# Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ming-Yue
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Mechanical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063009, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: He-Ping
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Peking University School of Stomatology, 22# Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing, 100081, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jian-Guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D048430:Cell Shape / Q000187:drug effects; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005881:Gingiva / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions / Q000187:drug effects; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013499:Surface Properties; D015040:Zirconium / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D058626:Plasma Gases; D015040:Zirconium; C028541:zirconium oxide