Modulation of human gingival fibroblast adhesion, morphology, tyrosine phosphorylation, and ERK 1/2 localization on polished, grooved and SLA substratum topographies

Attachment of connective tissue to dental implants, which is influenced by surface topography, is an important determinant of implant success. Approaches employed to alter topography include acid etching or blasting to produce roughened surfaces, and production of precisely defined topographies using microfabrication techniques. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of polished, microgrooved, and sand-blasted, large grit, acid-etched (SLA) topographies on fibroblast adhesion, morphology, activation, and ERK 1/2 phosphorylation and localization. Human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) spread on all tested surfaces within 2 h, and topography influenced the pattern of phosphotyrosine localization. Fibrillar adhesion formation was prominent in HGFs cultured on microgrooves and SLA at 24 h compared with smooth. No significant difference in ERK 1/2 phosphorylation was observed at 2 or 24 h, but nuclear localization depended on culture time and substratum topography. Nuclear localization of ERK 1/2 occurred at 2 h on polished surfaces, but was not evident at 1 week. In contrast, cells on SLA and grooved surfaces did not exhibit nuclear localization of ERK 1/2 at early times, but did at 1 week. The results of this study suggest that rough and microfabricated topographies influence fibroblast adhesion and intracellular signaling through focal adhesion/integrin-dependent mechanisms in a time-dependent manner.