An injectable and thermosensitive hydrogel: Promoting periodontal regeneration by controlled-release of aspirin and erythropoietin

摘要

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease induced by complex interactions between host immune system and plaque microorganism. Alveolar bone resorption caused by periodontitis is considered to be one of the main reasons for tooth loss in adults. To terminate the alveolar bone resorption, simultaneous anti-inflammation and periodontium regeneration is required, which has not appeared in the existing methods. In this study, chitosan (CS), beta-sodium glycerophosphate (beta-GP), and gelatin were used to prepare an injectable and thermosensitive hydrogel, which could continuously release aspirin and erythropoietin (EPO) to exert pharmacological effects of anti-inflammation and tissue regeneration, respectively. The releasing profile showed that aspirin and EPO could be continuously released from the hydrogels, which exhibited no toxicity both in vitro and in vivo, for at least 21 days. Immunohistochemistry staining and micro-CT analyses indicated that administration of CS/beta-GP/gelatin hydrogels loaded with aspirin/EPO could terminate the inflammation and recover the height of the alveolar bone, which is further confirmed by histological observations. Our results suggested that CS/beta-GP/gelatin hydrogels are easily prepared as drug-loading vectors with excellent biocompatibility, and the CS/beta-GP/gelatin hydrogels loaded with aspirin/EPO are quite effective in anti-inflammation and periodontium regeneration, which provides a great potential candidate for periodontitis treatment in the dental clinic.