Key Engineering Materials Vols. 309-311

Abstract: In the aim to decrease the degradation rate of magnesium in simulated body fluid, pure magnesium was treated by two different routes, i) by soaking specimens in an HF aqueous solution at 30oC for 30 min and ii) by heating specimens at 345oC for 15 min. The treated samples were immersed in simulated body fluid (SBF) at 37oC for different periods of time. Samples with no treatment were also immersed in SBF. The magnesium released into the SBF, the weight loss of the specimens and the pH of SBF increased with time of immersion in all the cases. The heat treated samples showed a lower degradation rate and lower pH values. A substantial decrease of magnesium concentration in the SBF corresponding to the heat treated samples was also observed. However, the degradation rate of the heat treated samples remains being extremely high. On the other hand, a bonelike apatite layer was observed after only 3 days of immersion in SBF in all the cases. The thickness of this layer increased with time of immersion. Further research needs to be performed to decrease the degradation rate. However, these results indicate that magnesium is a highly potential bioactive material for biomedical applications.

Abstract: Silica-doped poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composite hollow spheres containing calcium carbonates (Si-CCPC spheres) were prepared using aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) for injectable bone fillers combined with a cell-delivery system. Si-CCPC spheres have a hollow spherical shape of ~1 mm in the external diameter and an open channel in the shell, which is selfformed. The channel size is about 500 *m in diameter. X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis showed incorporation of silicon in Si-CCPC spheres. After soaking Si-CCPC spheres in simulated body fluid (SBF), hydroxycarbonate apatite formed on the Si-CCPC spheres. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) showed that the Si4+ ion is released from Si-CCPC spheres in SBF.

Abstract: Chemically durable microspheres 20−30 µm in diameter containing a large amount of yttrium are useful for in situ radiotherapy of cancer as they can be activated by neutron bombardment to become β-emitters and can be injected in the vicinity of the cancer to provide a large localized dose of β-radiation. In this study, preparation of hollow Y2O3 microspheres using an enzymatic reaction was attempted, and the structure and chemical durability of the resulting microspheres were investigated. Hollow Y2O3 microspheres 20–30 &m in diameter were successfully prepared by this enzymatic method. The outer surface of the microspheres was smooth and dense, whereas the inner parts had a honeycombed structure. In simulated body fluids at pH 6 and 7, the hollow Y2O3 microspheres showed high chemical durability.

Abstract: Non-woven silica fabric was made by electro-spinning method for the application as a bone grafting material. The silica gel, the source material for electro-spinning, was prepared by the hydrolysis of tetraethyl orthosilicate in the presence of water, hydrochloric acid and ethanol. It was transferred to a syringe (spinneret), which was connected to the high voltage supply generating a high electric field between the spinneret and the ground collecting drum. The silica fibers were spun under the electric field of 2 KV/cm. Their diameters were in the range from about 100 nm to 5 µm. After soaking in the SBF for 4 week, low crystalline apatite crystals were observed to occur partly on their surfaces. From the results, it can be concluded that the non-woven silica fabric made by electro-spinning method has the apatite forming ability in the SBF and it means it has a potential to be used as a bone grafting material because of its apatite-forming ability, high surface area to volume ratio and high porosity.

Abstract: The biological activity of osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells on the newly developed non-woven silica fabric was investigated. The attachment, proliferation, and differentiation of osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells were evaluated by MTS and alkaline phosphatase activity assays, respectively. The non-woven silica fabric showed higher biological activities than those of tissue culture plates with regard to attachment and proliferation while there was no significant difference with respect to differentiation. These results suggest that the non-woven silica fabric has a potential application as a bone grafting materia

Abstract: Chitosan is a deacetylated derivative of chitin, which is a naturally abundant mucopolysaccharide, supporting the matter of crustaceans, insects, and fungi. Because of its unique properties, such as non-toxicity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility, chitosan has a wide range of applications in various fields. Increasing interest on chitosan’s usage has resulted in high consumption. Therefore, production of chitosan from essential sources with desired characteristics has become an important issue. Several methods, with different chemicals and reaction conditions, have been reported in the literature. This study aimed to shed light in several features of a very promising chitin isolation method described by Tolaimate et al. and its effect on the produced chitosan’s phisico-chemical characteristics.

Abstract: Apatite formation on polyamide films containing either carboxyl or sulfonic groups was compared in 1.5SBF, whose ion concentrations are 1.5 times those of a simulated body fluid (SBF). The sulfonic groups induced the apatite nucleation earlier than the carboxyl groups. In contrast, the rate of crystal growth depended not on the kind of functional group, but on the degree of supersaturation of the surrounding solution. The more ready association of sulfonic groups with calcium ions may lead to earlier apatite nucleation than that of carboxyl groups. Adhesive strength of the apatite layer to polyamide film containing sulfonic groups was significantly lower than that with carboxyl groups depending on the chemical interactions as well as on the mechanical properties of the polyamide film.

Abstract: Effect of poly(ε-caprolactone) structure on the mechanical properties and apatite-forming ability of poly(ε-caprolactone)/silica composite was investigated. Star-shaped poly(ε-caprolactone) was used in the experiment and it was end-capped with 3-isocyanopropyl triethoxysilane following the reaction with tetraethyl orthosilicate by sol-gel method. It was heat-treated at 150 oC for 24 hours and then tensile mechanical and dynamic viscoelastic testings were conducted, respectively. Its bioactivity was evaluated by the apatite forming ability in simulated body fluid at 36.5 oC. Its tensile strength was about 22 MPa while elastic modulus was about 2.6 GPa when the content of poly(ε-caprolactone) was 60 wt.%. The formation of apatite crystals on its surface was confirmed after 1 week of soaking in the SBF. The high elastic modulus of this composite was explained in terms of its 3-dimensional network structure.

Abstract: Our previous study presented that sericin, a kind of silk protein, had high ability of apatite formation under a condition mimicking body environment when the sericin contains high content of β sheet structure. To confirm the effectiveness of β sheet structure on apatite nucleation, we attempted to synthesize of polypeptide containing β sheet structure and investigate apatite formation in 1.5SBF that has 1.5 times the inorganic ion concentrations of human blood plasma. Poly(FEFEFEFG) was synthesized as the polypeptide consisting mainly of β sheet structure. Formation of hydroxyapatite was observed on the film of the poly(FEFEFEFG) after soaking in 1.5SBF within 7 days. We could confirm that β sheet structure was effective even in the synthetic polypeptide.