Air atmospheric pressure plasma jet pretreatment for drop-wise loading of dexamethasone on hydroxyapatite scaffold for increase of osteoblast attachment

Periodontal disease affects alveolar bone resorption around the involved teeth. To gain bone height, bone graft materials have been widely used with drug carriers. Application of an atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) treatment is widely studied due to its ability to change surface characteristics without topographical change. The aim of this study is to identify whether the air APPJ (AAPPJ) treatment before drop-wise loading performance could change loaded amount of dexamethasone, and induce increase of cell attachment and proliferation. The results suggested that AAPPJ treatment decreased the contact angle down to about 13°, which increased gradually but significantly lowered at least 4 days compared to no-treated group. After AAPPJ treatment, hydrocarbon was removed with change of zeta potential into positive charge. However, the AAPPJ treatment did not change the quantity or releasing profile of dexamethasone (p > 0.05). Confocal analysis combined with DNA proliferation analysis showed increase of osteoblast attachment and proliferation. Hence, AAPPJ could be a useful pretreatment method before drop-wise loading on HA scaffold with dexamethasone for increase of osteoblast attachment.