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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Carbon fiber: Characterization and evaluation of the
inflammatory response and toxicity in rats
Clarissa Carvalho Martins Maciel
1
| Letícia Cavassini Torquato
1
|
Eduardo Antonio Chelin Suárez
1
| Kauê Alberto Pereira
1,2
|
Maria Aparecida Neves Jardini
1
| Alexandre Luiz Souto Borges
3
|
Luana Marotta Reis de Vasconcellos
4
| Jossano Saldanha Marcuzzo
5
|
Andrea Carvalho De Marco
1
1
Department of Diagnosis and Surgery,
Division of Periodontology, S˜ao Paulo State
University (UNESP), Institute of Science and
Technology, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil
2
Division of Periodontology, Fundaç˜ao
Universitária Vida Crist˜a, Unifunvic,
Pindamonhangaba, Brazil
3
Department of Dental Materials and
Prosthesis, Division of Prosthesis, Sao Paulo
State University UNESP, Institute of Science
and Technology, Campus Sao Jose dos
Campos, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil
4
Department of Biosciences and Oral
Diagnosis, Division of Histology, Sao Paulo
State University UNESP, Institute of Science
and Technology, Campus Sao Jose dos
Campos, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil
5
JMHP –Consultoria em Materiais e
Informática LTDA., Jacareí, Brazil
Correspondence
Andrea Carvalho De Marco, Av. Eng. Francisco
Jose Longo, n777, Jardim Sao Dimas, Sao
Jose dos Campos, SP 12245-000, Brazil.
Email: andrea.marco@unesp.br
Funding information
Scholarship for graduate student, Grant/Award
Numbers: 88887.489676/2020-00,
88887.529146/2020-00, 88887.668150/
2022-00; CAPES (Coordenaçao de
Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior)
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the Carbon Fiber obtained from PAN textile and cotton
fiber in their different forms of presentation: non-activated carbon fiber felt
(NACFF), activated carbon fiber felt (ACFF), silver activated carbon fiber felt
(Ag-ACFF), and activated carbon fiber tissue (ACFT), to obtain scaffolds as a potential
material with properties related to the synthetic bone graft. Characterization tests
performed: surface wettability, traction, swelling, and in vivo tests: evaluation of the
inflammatory response by implanting the materials in the subcutaneous tissue of
14 Wistar rats, evaluation of collagen fibers by picrosirius red staining and assess-
ment of toxicity in the following organs: heart, spleen, liver, and kidney. In the wetta-
bility test, NACFF and ACFT were hydrophobic (θ124and 114), ACFF and
Ag-ACFF were hydrophilic. For maximum stress, ACFF was more resistant (2.983
± 1.059) p< .05. In the swelling test, the Ag-ACFF and ACFF groups showed the
highest absorption percentage for the PBS solution and distilled water (p< .001). The
organs showed no signs of acute systemic toxicity. The implant regions showed mild
to moderate inflammatory infiltrate at 7 and 21 days. Only the ACFT group did not
show the maturation of type I collagen fibers in 21 days. Through the conducted ana-
lyses, the ACFT shows little potential to be indicated as a possible scaffold. Therefore
NACFF, ACFF, and Ag-ACFF have the potential to be considered scaffolds due to
the following characteristics presented: good absorption rate, hydrophilicity, and
non-toxic.
KEYWORDS
biocompatible materials, bone regeneration, carbon fiber, scaffolds, tissue engineering
1|INTRODUCTION
Bone tissue engineering (BTE) has focused on treatments of bone
defects considered critical in size, those that do not present spontane-
ous cures. Traditional materials such as ceramics and polymers were
applied as structuring materials in BTE. However, its clinical applica-
tions are limited. Recently materials with carbon-based nanometric
structures have been gaining ground by presenting better properties
such as great mechanical strength, large surface area, high biocompat-
ibility, affordable price, and resource abundance. Moreover, compared
Received: 31 March 2023 Revised: 30 June 2023 Accepted: 5 July 2023
DOI: 10.1002/jbm.b.35298
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