In Vivo Evaluation of the Effect of Vitamin D-Loaded Nanostructures on Bone Regeneration Using an Animal Model

Background /Objectives: In clinical surgery, bone regeneration has proven to be a significant challenge. Autografts, allografts and xenografts can be used in bone tissue regeneration, but these approaches are linked with the following disadvantages: limited availability, increased surgical time, increased costs. In the case of autograft, morbidity of the donor site and a lower probability of success are also noteworthy, and in the case of allografts the probability of disease transmission and the probability of immunological reaction should be considered. Due to these disadvantages, better solutions have been sought to achieve the regeneration of deficient bone tissue. Thus, for a biomaterial to be suitable for bone regeneration, it must have certain properties, namely: biocompatibility, osteoinduction, osteoconduction and mechanical strength. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits of a novel nanostructured chitosan membrane loaded with vitamin D, in bone tissue regeneration therapy. The membrane was applied in an osteoporotic bone defect model, to simulate a post-extraction alveolus. Materials and Methods: We conducted an in vivo study on 30 female Wistar rats, to whom we induced osteoporosis. A bone defect was created artificially by milling. The 30 female rats were divided into three groups, depending on the material used in filling the defect: control group I was treated with no filler for the bone defect, group II was treated with vitamin D loaded on a hemostatic sponge, and group III was treated with vitamin D loaded on a novel nanostructured membrane. The bone regeneration obtained in the three study groups was assessed by descriptive histological analysis and histological scoring. Results: The results show that the Vitamin D-loaded chitosan nanostructured membranes have positive effects in bone tissue regeneration, with better efficiency than other studied therapeutic strategies. Conclusions: Our study indicates that Vitamin D-loaded chitosan nanostructured membrane might be a promising therapeutic option for bone regeneration.