BONEFILL ® block as alternative for bone substitute: a toxicological evaluation

Bone substitutes based on hydroxyapatite (HA) and Bonefill® (BO - inorganic bovine bone) associated with poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) (HA/PLGA and BO/PLGA) were evaluated concerning cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and mutagenicity as potential candidates for bone repair. The materials were developed and provided by Bionnovation Biomedical Products Ltda. Eluates from these bone substitutes were prepared for toxicity evaluations using eukaryotic cell cultures. HA/PLGA was used as a comparison for Bonefill®. Cell viability was evaluated by XTT assay and surviving fraction was calculated for clonogenic survival. Additionally, tail moment was used to assess genotoxicity (comet assay). The frequencies of binucleated cells with micronucleus (FBMN), micronucleus (FMN), nucleoplasmic bridges (NPBs), and nuclear buds (NBUDs) were analysed by cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay (CBMN assay). Results showed no statistical difference in cell viability compared with negative control (NC) The eluates did not promote delayed cytotoxicity whereas the surviving fraction rate for cultured cells was similar to NC. Furthermore, no genotoxicity or mutagenicity effects were observed for cultured cells with the Bonefill/PLGA and HA/PLGA eluates. In conclusion, the negative cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and mutagenicity results indicate that these bone substitutes presented interesting preliminary results as potential biomaterials for bone repair.