Background: Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes are often used as carriers for loading materials such as drugs, proteins, and growth factors.
Materials and methods: In this study, we loaded tetracycline onto TiO2 nanotubes to demonstrate its antibacterial properties and biocompatibility. The two-layered anodic TiO2 nanotubes with a honeycomb-like porous structure were fabricated by using a two-step anodization, and they were loaded with tetracycline by using a simplified lyophilization method and vacuum drying. Their physical properties, such as chemical compositions, wettability, and surface morphologies of the different samples, were observed and measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurement, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The in vitro growth behaviors of mouse bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) on these substrates were investigated.
Results: The TiO2 nanotube (NT) substrates and the tetracycline-loaded TiO2 nanotube (NT-T) substrates revealed a crucial potential for promoting the adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation of BMSCs. Similarly, the NT-T substrates displayed a sudden release of tetracycline in the first 15 minutes of their administration, and the release tended to be stable 90 minutes later. The antibacterial performances of the prepared substrates were assessed with Porphyromonas gingivalis. The result showed that NT and NT-T substrates had antibacterial capacities.
Conclusion: Overall, this research provides a promising method with potential for clinical translation by allowing local slow release of antimicrobial compounds by loading them onto constructed nanotubes.
Keywords: Porphyromonas gingivalis; TiO2 nanotubes; antibacterial; drug release; mouse bone marrow stromal cells; tetracycline.