Effect of Type I Collagen on Hydroxyapatite and Tricalcium Phosphate Mixtures in Rat Calvarial Bony Defects

To repair bone defects in the oral and maxillofacial field, bone grafts including autografts, allografts, and artificial bone are used in clinical dentistry despite several disadvantages. The purpose of this study was to evaluate new bone formation and healing in rat calvarial bone defects using hydroxyapatite (HA, $Ca_{10}[PO_4]_6[OH]_2,\;Bongros^{(R)}$, Bio@ Co., KOREA) and tricalcium phosphate (${\beta}-TCP,\;Ca_3[PO_4]_2$, Sigma-Aldrich Co., USA) mixed at various ratios. Additionally, this study evaluated the effects of type I collagen (Rat tail, BD Biosciences Co., Sweden) as a basement membrane organic matrix. A total of twenty, 8-week-old, male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 250-300g, were divided equally into a control group (n=2) and nine experimental groups (n=2, each). Bilateral, standardized transosseous circular calvarial defects, 5.0 mm in diameter, were created. In each experimental group, the defect was filled with HA and TCP at a ratio of 100:0, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, 50:50, 40:60, 30:70, 20:80, and 0:100 with or without type I collagen. Rats were sacrificed 4 and 8 weeks post-operation for radiographic (standardized plain film, Kodak Co., USA), histomorphologic (H&E [Hematoxylin and Eosin], MT [Masson Trichrome]), immunohistochemical staining (for BMP-2, -4, VEGF, and vWF), and elementary analysis (Atomic absorption spectrophotometer, Perkin Elmer AAnalyst $100^{(R)}$). As the HA proportion increased, denser radiopacity was seen in most groups at 4 and 8 weeks. In general radiopacity in type I collagen groups was greater than the non-collagen groups, especially in the 100% HA group at 8 weeks. No new bone formation was seen in calvarial defects in any group at 4 weeks. Bridging bone formation from the defect margin was marked at 8 weeks in most type I collagen groups. Although immunohistochemical findings with BMP-2, -4, and VEGF were not significantly different, marked vWF immunoreactivity was present. vWF staining was especially strong in endothelial cells in newly formed bone margins in the 100:0, 80:20, and 70:30 ratio type I collagen groups at 8 weeks. The calcium compositions from the elementary analysis were not statistically significant. Many types of artificial bone have been used as bone graft materials, but most of them can only be applied as an inorganic material. This study confirmed improved bony regeneration by adding organic type I collagen to inorganic HA and TCP mixtures. Therefore, these new artificial bone graft materials, which are under strict storage and distribution systems, will be suggested to be available to clinical dentistry demands.