[Comparison of fibroblastic cell compatibility of type I collagen-immobilized titanium between electrodeposition and immersion].

Abstract

Titanium is widely used for medical implants. While many techniques for surface modification have been studied for optimizing its biocompatibility with hard tissues, little work has been undertaken to explore ways of maximizing its biocompatibility with soft tissues. We investigated cell attachment to titanium surfaces modified with bovine Type I collagen immobilized by either electrodeposition or a conventional immersion technique. The apparent thickness and durability of the immobilized collagen layer were evaluated prior to incubation of the collagen-immobilized titanium surfaces with NIH/3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblasts. The initial cell attachment and expression of actin and vinculin were evaluated. We determined that the immobilized collagen layer was much thicker and more durable when placed using the electrodeposition technique than the immersion technique. Both protocols produced materials that promoted better cell attachment, growth and structural protein expression than titanium alone. However, electrodeposition was ultimately superior to immersion because it is quicker to perform and produces a more durable collagen coating. We conclude that electrodeposition is an effective technique for immobilizing type I collagen on titanium surfaces, thus improving their cytocompatibility with fibroblasts.