[Study on antibacterial properties and osteoblast activity of antimicrobial peptide coatings on titanium implants]

Objective: To investigate the antibacterial property and biological activity of Ti dental implant with antimicrobial peptide Pac-525 coatings, and to study the effect of peptide Pac-525 coatings on Porphyromonas gingivalis's antibacterial performance and osteoblast proliferation and adhesion. Methods: After ultrasonic micro arc oxidation, alkali treatment and silane treatment, forty-five pure titanium specimens were exposed to antibacterial peptide Pac-525 in different concentration (0.25, 0.50, 0.75 g/L). The titanium specimens in the control group were only treated with ultrasonic micro arc oxidation, alkali treatment and silane treatment. The morphologies of coatings were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the element changes were detected by energy spectrum analyzer. Orange acridine-ethidium bromide double staining was used to detect the average percentage of live bacteria and biofilm thickness, after the specimens in each group and Porphyromonas gingivalis were co-cultured for 72 hours. Cell counting Kit-8 method and immunofluorescence staining were used to test the proliferation of osteoblasts, the number and growth morphologies of adherent cells, respectively. Results: SEM and energy spectrum analysis showed that the Pac-525 particles loaded on the surface of the coating, and the C and N elements in the Pac-525 coating group were significantly more than those in the control group. The average percentage of living bacteria in the control group, 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 g/L antimicrobial peptides were 0.58%, 0.45%, 0.34% and 0.28%, respectively, and the difference between each group was statistically significant (P<0.05). The biofilm thickness of Porphyromonas gingivalis in 0.50 and 0.75 g/L antibacterial peptide group were (98.3±1.2) and (94.5±2.5) μm respectively, which were significantly less than those in control group and 0.25 g/L antibacterial peptide group [(117.6±1.5) and (118.0±1.3) μm] (P<0.05), respectively. The number of bone cell adhesion and proliferation of all antimicrobial peptides were significantly greater than those in the control group (P<0.05), and the cells stretched better. Conclusions: The antibacterial peptide coating of titanium implants could inhibit the formation of bacterial biofilm. It had good antibacterial properties and could promote the adhesion and proliferation of osteoblasts.