Preparation of a nanopearl powder/C-HA (chitosan-hyaluronic acid)/rhBMP-2 (recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2) composite artificial bone material and a preliminary study of its effects on MC3T3-E1 cells

ABSTRACT

A nanopearl powder/C-HA (chitosan-hyaluronic acid)/rhBMP-2 (recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2) composite artificial bone material was prepared, and its biological properties were evaluated. The nanopearl powder/C-HA/rhBMP-2 composite porous artificial bone material was prepared using the freeze-drying method after the nanopearl powder was prepared using mechanical ball milling. The particle was measured with a transmission electron microscope, its surface morphology and pore size were observed under a scanning electron microscope. The porosity of the artificial bone was determined using pycnometry, a compression performance test was conducted with a universal testing machine, and XRD (X-ray diffraction) patterns were recorded to examine the crystal form of the pearl powder in the composite artificial bone. Finally, the artificial bone was cocultured with mouse MC3T3-E1 cells to investigate its effects on cell proliferation and differentiation and the expression of osteogenesis-related genes. The pearl powder prepared in this experiment had a particle size in the nanometer range. This nanopearl powder, along with C-HA and rhBMP-2, was compounded into the nanopearl powder/C-HA/rhBMP-2 composite artificial bone, showing pore sizes of 188.53 ± 15.32 μm, a porosity of 86.43 ± 2.78% and a compressive strength of 0.342 ± 0.024 MPa. Notably, rhBMP-2 was released from the artificial bone in a sustained manner. Moreover, this artificial bone promoted the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells and upregulated the expression of ColαI (collagen α1), OCN (osteocalcin), OPN (osteopontin) and Runx2 (runt-related gene 2). Conclusively, this nanopearl powder/C-HA/rhBMP-2 composite artificial bone material showed good performance and cytocompatibility, suggesting that it can be used for bone tissue engineering.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Nanopearl powder
• chitosan
• hyaluronic acid
• recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein
• composite artificial bone

Acknowledgments

We are grateful for financial support from the Key Research and Development Projects in Hainan Province (ZDYF2016018) and National Natural Science Foundation of China Regional Fund Project (82060194).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Key research and development projects in Hainan Province [ZDYF2016018] and National Natural Science Foundation of China Regional Fund Project [82060194].