Biocomposite scaffolds of lithium (Li)-containing mesoporous bioglass and monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(D,L-lactide-is the initial weight and is the weight of the samples at time is the initial weight and is the weight of samples soaking for time t. and composition of the samples were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM; S-3400N; Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS; Falcon, New York, USA), respectively. The changes in the ion concentrations (Si, Ca, and P ions) in SBF after soaking the samples at different time points were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (IRIS 1000; Thermo Elemental, Massachusetts, USA). Cell culture MC3T3-E1 cells (ATCC; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, Peoples Republic of China) were cultured with Dulbeccos Modified Eagles Medium supplemented with glutamine (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA), made up of 10% (v/v) fetal calf serum (Sijiqing, Hangzhou, Peoples Republic of China) and 1% (v/v) antibiotics in the 100% standard humidified atmosphere with 5% CO2 at 37C. The culture medium was replaced every 2 days. The trypsin and EDTA answer (Thermo Fisher Scientific, 0.5 g/L and 0.2 g/L, respectively) were used to harvest cells before GSK1070916 the cells reached confluence. The cells were resuspended in new culture medium before seeding on specimens and tissue culture plate (TCP) as control, and the cell density was calculated for later experiments. The samples of l-MBPC and l-BPC scaffolds (102 mm) were sonicated in ethanol and sterilized in GSK1070916 autoclave at 100C for 30 minutes. Cell attachment The MC3T3-E1 cells (2105 cells/50 mL) were seeded around the specimens (102 mm) located into 24-well TCPs, and the TCP was used as a control. The cell samples were managed at 37C under 5% CO2 condition for 4 hours, and then, the culture medium was removed. Then, the residual cultured medium and unattached cells were removed by washing with PBS three times. After the attached cells around the samples were digested by trypsin, the adherent cells were counted with a hemacytometer, and the cell attachment efficiency was determined by GSK1070916 counting the number of cells remaining in the wells. Cell proliferation and morphology Ik3-2 antibody MC3T3-E1 cells (2105 cells/50 mL) were seeded around the specimens in 24-well plates, and the cell proliferation was decided using a Cell Counting Kit-8 at 1 day, 4 days, and 7 days. At the specific time point, GSK1070916 the specimens were softly rinsed three times with PBS. Standard culture media with and without cells were used as positive control and blank control for cell viability, respectively. All samples were tested in triplicate, and the results were expressed in mean absorbance values (OD), which were obtained from a microplate reader (Synergy HT; Bio-Tek, Vermont, USA) at 450 nm. The cell morphology of MC3T3-E1 cells was examined by visualizing the filamentous actin of the cytoskeleton using a confocal laser scanning microscopy (Leica TCS SP2; Leica Microsystems, Wetzlar, Germany). The samples were then put into 24 wells, and the cells were seeded around the samples at a density of 2.0104 cells/well. After incubation for 4 days, the specimens were washed softly with PBS to remove the unattached cells. According to the protocol, the cells on specimens were fixed with 2.5% glutaraldehyde for 15 minutes at the room temperature and permeabilized with 0.1% Triton X-100 in PBS for another 15 minutes. After washing three times with PBS, the cells were stained with 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (Sigma-Aldrich Co.) and fluorescein isothiocyanate (Sigma-Aldrich Co.). Alkaline phosphatase activity MC3T3-E1 cells (2104 cells/50 mL) were seeded around the specimens, which were placed in 24-well plates, and then cultured at 37C and 100% humidity atmosphere with 5% CO2. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of the cells was measured with the ALP assay in osteogenic medium at 7 days and 10 days. At the specific time point, the cell lysates GSK1070916 were obtained by adding 1 mL of 0.2% Nonidet P-40 treatment for each well at room temperature for 1 hour. Then, 50 L of 1 1 mg/mL p-nitrophenylphosphate (Sigma-Aldrich Co.) substrate answer (pH =9), which contains 0.1 mol/L glycine and 0.5 mmol/L MgCl2 in 1 M diethanolamine buffer, was added to each well and incubated at 37C for 15 minutes. The reaction was halted by 100 L of 0.1 M sodium hydroxide. Then, OD value was quantified with a microplate reader (SpectraMax 384; Molecular Devices LLC, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) at the wavelength of 405 nm. The ALP activity was expressed as OD value per.