Polyanionic collagen membranes for guided tissue regeneration: Effect of progressive glutaraldehyde cross-linking on biocompatibility and degradation

The ultimate goal of periodontal therapy is to control periodontal tissue inflammation and to produce predictable regeneration of that part of the periodontium which has been lost as a result of periodontal disease. In guided tissue regeneration membranes function as mechanical barriers, excluding the epithelium and gingival corium from the root surface and allowing regeneration by periodontal ligament cells. This report aims to study the effect of glutaraldehyde (GA) cross-linking on mineralized polyanionic collagen (PAC) membranes by conducting a histological evaluation of the tissue response (biocompatibility) and by assessing the biodegradation of subcutaneous membrane implants in rats. We studied six different samples: a PAC, a PAC mineralized by alternate soaking processes for either 25 or 75 cycles (PAC 25 and PAC 75, respectively) and these films cross-linked by GA. Inflammatory infiltrate, cytokine dosage, fibrosis capsule thickness, metalloproteinase immunohistochemistry and membrane biodegradation after 1, 7, 15 and 30 days were measured. The inflammatory response was found to be more intense in membranes without cross-linking, while the fibrosis capsules became thicker in cross-linked membranes after 30 days. The membranes without cross-linking suffered intense biodegradation, while the membranes with cross-linking remained intact after 30 days. The cross-linking with GA reduced the inflammatory response and prevented degradation of the membranes over the entire course of the observation period. These membranes are thus an attractive option when the production of new bone depends on the prolonged presence of a mechanical barrier.