Preparation, Modification, and Characterization of Alginate Hydrogel with Nano-/Microfibers: A New Perspective for Tissue Engineering

• Published in: BioMed research international 2013-01, Vol.2013 (2013), p.1-6
• Main Authors: Fernando Demarco, Flávio, Varella de Carvalho, Rodrigo, Piva, Evandro, Nedel, Fernanda, Palma Santana, Bianca, Lenin Villarreal Carreño, Neftali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alginates - chemical synthesis; Alginates - pharmacology; Animals; Cell Death - drug effects; Cell Survival - drug effects; Cellular control mechanisms; Chemical properties; Durapatite - pharmacology; Fibroblasts - cytology; Fibroblasts - drug effects; Glucuronic Acid - chemical synthesis; Glucuronic Acid - pharmacology; Hexuronic Acids - chemical synthesis; Hexuronic Acids - pharmacology; Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate - chemical synthesis; Hydrogel, Polyethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate - pharmacology; Materials Testing; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Mice; Nanofibers - chemistry; NIH 3T3 Cells; Physiological aspects; Properties; Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; Tissue engineering; Tissue Engineering - methods; Titanium - pharmacology; Titanium dioxide; X-Ray Diffraction
• ISSN: 2314-6133; 2314-6141
• DOI: 10.1155/2013/307602

We aimed to develop an alginate hydrogel (AH) modified with nano-/microfibers of titanium dioxide (nfTD) and hydroxyapatite (nfHY) and evaluated its biological and chemical properties. Nano-/microfibers of nfTD and nfHY were combined with AH, and its chemical properties were evaluated by FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-Ray analysis, and the cytocompatibility by the WST-1 assay. The results demonstrate that the association of nfTD and nfHY nano-/microfibers to AH did not modified the chemical characteristics of the scaffold and that the association was not cytotoxic. In the first 3 h of culture with NIH/3T3 cells nfHY AH scaffolds showed a slight increase in cell viability when compared to AH alone or associated with nfTD. However, an increase in cell viability was observed in 24 h when nfTD was associated with AH scaffold. In conclusion our study demonstrates that the combination of nfHY and nfTD nano-/microfibers in AH scaffold maintains the chemical characteristics of alginate and that this association is cytocompatible. Additionally the combination of nfHY with AH favored cell viability in a short term, and the addition of nfTD increased cell viability in a long term.