Surface microgrooves and acid etching on titanium substrata alter various cell behaviors of cultured human gingival fibroblasts

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the influence of surface microgrooves and acid etching on titanium substrata on cell proliferation and gene expression of cultured human gingival fibroblasts.

Material and methods: Ti substrata with various dimensions of microgrooves and further acid etching comprised four experimental groups (E15/3.5, E30/5, E60/10, and E90/15), whereas smooth and acid etched Ti discs were both used as control (NE0 and E0). The chemical composition of the control and experimental cp Ti substrata was analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Cell proliferation, gene expression, and protein expression of cultured human gingival fibroblasts were analyzed between all groups using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) assay, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and Western blotting, respectively.

Results: The XPS results showed that the Ti substrata used in this study showed no significant differences in the expression of surface chemical composition. BrdU assay showed that cell proliferation was significantly increased in E60/10 compared with that in any other group. In RT-PCR, E60/10 was noted to increase the expression of various genes involved in cell-matrix adhesion and adhesion-dependent cell cycle progression. In Western blotting, increased expression of fibronectin and Rho A was noted in E60/10 compared with that in NE0 or E15/3.5.

Conclusion: This study indicates that surface microgrooves 60 μm in width and 10 μm in depth, and further acid etching on Ti substrata trigger the proliferation and alter the expression of both genes and proteins in cultured human gingival fibroblasts.