Actin cytoskeletal organization in human osteoblasts grown on different dental titanium implant surfaces

The understanding of the cellular basis of osteoblastic cell-biomaterial interaction is crucial to the analysis of the mechanism of osseointegration. Cell adhesion is a complex process that is dependent on the cell types and on the surface microtopography and chemistry of the substrate. We have studied the role of microtopography in modulating cell adhesion, in vitro, using a human osteoblastic cell line for the assessment of actin cytoskeletal organization. Through application of CLSM combining reflection and fluorescence, 2D or 3D images of cytoskeleton were obtained. On smooth surfaces, Ti CP machined, predominantly planar bone cells with an axial ratio of 1.1 were randomly oriented, with stress fibers running in all directions, and thin filopodia. On TiCP Osseotite surfaces the osteoblastic cells conformed to the irregular terrain of the sustrate with focal adhesion sites only established on the relative topographical peaks separated for a longer distance than in the machined surface, and defined wide lamellopodia and long filopodia, with enhanced expression of stress fibers, forming large clear focal contacts with the rough surface. The cytoskeletal organization of cells cultured on rough titanium supports an active role for the biomaterial surface in the events that govern osteoblastic cell adhesion. The results enforce the role of the rough sustrate surface in affecting osteoblastic cell adhesion and provide valuable information for the design of material surfaces that are required for the development of an appropriate osteogenic surface for osteoblastic anchorage, compared to machined surface, in dental implants.