In vitro bioactivity and cytotoxicity of chemically treated glass fibers

Samples of a commercial glass fibre were used to test the efficacy of a chemical sol-gel surface treatment to enhance their bioactivity. After treatment with tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), individual fibre samples were soaked in a simulated body fluid (SBF) solution, from which they were removed at intervals of 5 and 10 days. Micrographs obtained by SEM analysis of samples chemically treated with TEOS revealed the formation of a hydroxyapatite (HA) coating layer after 5 days in the SBF solution. FTIR analyses confirmed that the coating layer had P-O vibration bands characteristic of HA. The in-vitro cytotoxicity was evaluated using a direct contact test, minimum essential medium elution test and MTT assay. Fibres immersed in SBF and their extracts exhibited lower cytotoxicity than the controls not subjected to immersion, suggesting that SBF treatment improves the biocompatibility of the fibre. 12 refs.