Surface characteristics and in vitro biocompatibility of a manganese-containing titanium oxide surface

This study investigated the surface characteristics and in vitro biocompatibility of a titanium (Ti) oxide layer incorporating the manganese ions (Mn) obtained by hydrothermal treatment with the expectation of utilizing potent integrin–ligand binding enhancement effect of Mn for future applications as an endosseous implant surface. The surface characteristics were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, thin-film X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, optical profilometry and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). The in vitro biocompatibility of the Mn-containing Ti oxide surface was evaluated in comparison with untreated bare Ti using a mouse calvaria-derived osteoblastic cell line (MC3T3-E1). The hydrothermal treatment produced a nanostructured Mn-incorporated Ti oxide layer approximately 0.6 μm thick. ICP-AES analysis demonstrated that the Mn ions were released from the hydrothermally treated surface into the solution. Mn incorporation notably decreased cellular attachment, spreading, proliferation, alkaline phosphatase activity, and osteoblast phenotype gene expression compared with the bare Ti surface (p < 0.05). The results indicate that the Mn-incorporation into the surface Ti oxide layer has no evident beneficial effects on osteoblastic cell function, but instead, actually impaired cell behavior.