Porous Nano-Fiber Structure of Modified Electrospun Chitosan GBR Membranes Improve Osteoblast Calcium Phosphate Deposition in Osteoblast-Fibroblast Co-Cultures

• Published in: Marine drugs 2024-04, Vol.22 (4), p.160
• Main Authors: Su, Hengjie, Fujiwara, Tomoko, Skalli, Omar, Selders, Gretchen Schreyack, Li, Ting, Mao, Linna, Bumgardner, Joel D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Animals; Bone growth; Bone healing; Bone regeneration; Bone Regeneration - drug effects; Bones; Calcification, Physiologic - drug effects; Calcium; calcium phosphate deposition; Calcium phosphates; Calcium Phosphates - chemistry; Carbonates; Carbonates - chemistry; Cell culture; Cell growth; Chitin; Chitosan; Chitosan - chemistry; co-culture; Coculture Techniques; Contact angle; Cultures; Deposition; Dietary minerals; Electrospinning; Extracellular matrix; Fibroblasts; Fibroblasts - drug effects; guided bone regeneration; Health aspects; Hypotheses; Membranes; Metabolites; Mice; Mineralization; Morphology; Nanofibers; Nanofibers - chemistry; Osteoblasts; Osteoblasts - drug effects; Phosphates; Pore size; Porosity; Regeneration; Regeneration (biological); Regeneration (physiology); Sodium; Sodium carbonate; Soft tissues; Swelling; Tissue Scaffolds - chemistry
• ISSN: 1660-3397; 1660-3397
• DOI: 10.3390/md22040160

Desirable characteristics of electrospun chitosan membranes (ESCM) for guided bone regeneration are their nanofiber structure that mimics the extracellular fiber matrix and porosity for the exchange of signals between bone and soft tissue compartments. However, ESCM are susceptible to swelling and loss of nanofiber and porous structure in physiological environments. A novel post-electrospinning method using di-tert-butyl dicarbonate (tBOC) prevents swelling and loss of nanofibrous structure better than sodium carbonate treatments. This study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that retention of nanofiber morphology and high porosity of tBOC-modified ESCM (tBOC-ESCM) would support more bone mineralization in osteoblast-fibroblast co-cultures compared to Na CO treated membranes (Na CO -ESCM) and solution-cast chitosan solid films (CM-film). The results showed that only the tBOC-ESCM retained the nanofibrous structure and had approximately 14 times more pore volume than Na CO -ESCM and thousands of times more pore volume than CM-films, respectively. In co-cultures, the tBOC-ESCM resulted in a significantly greater calcium-phosphate deposition by osteoblasts than either the Na CO -ESCM or CM-film ( < 0.05). This work supports the study hypothesis that tBOC-ESCM with nanofiber structure and high porosity promotes the exchange of signals between osteoblasts and fibroblasts, leading to improved mineralization in vitro and thus potentially improved bone healing and regeneration in guided bone regeneration applications.