Dynamic competitive adsorption of bone-related proteins on calcium phosphate ceramic particles with different phase...

The biocompatibility and bioactivity of biomaterials used for hard tissue repair are closely related to their adsorption capacities for bone-related proteins. In the present study, three types of calcium phosphate (CaP) ceramic particles with different phase composition or microstructure were fabricated, and their protein adsorption abilities were investigated by a self-made device under the simulated dynamic physiological circumstance. The results of X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, mercury penetration test, and nitrogen sorption test showed that the irregular hydroxyapatite (HA) ceramic particles obtained by conventional drying and sintering (named as HA-C) had fewer micropores and lower specific surface area (SSA) than did the spherical HA or biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) ceramic particles made by spray drying and sintering (named as HA-S and BCP-S, respectively). The dynamic protein adsorption study proved that both the phase composition and microstructure of CaP ceramic particles affected their adsorption capacities for those bone-related proteins. The spherical HA-S and BCP-S particles with abundant micropores and high SSA showed higher adsorption of serum proteins, including fibronectin and vitronectin, than the irregular HA-C did. On the other hand, in spite of the relatively high concentration of bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the binary bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2)/BSA solution, BMP-2 adsorption on the three CaP ceramic particles increased with the increase in its initial concentration. Similarly, HA-S and BCP-S particles had a larger amount of the adsorbed BMP-2 per gram solid than HA-C did. Therefore, it could be believed that the difference of various CaP ceramics in the phase composition and microporous structure would affect their binding capacity for those bone-related proteins and thus lead to their difference in osteoinduction.