New mechanistic approach of TiCN film-coated NiTi substrate toxicity: impairment in mitochondrial electron transfer in diabetic rat tooth gum cells

In recent years, researchers have focused on using new materials for screws in bone jaw tissue replacement. However, concerns regarding the cytotoxicity and biocompatibility of these materials for cells remain a subject of ongoing discussion. In this study, a novel implant for bone jaw tissue regeneration was fabricated by depositing the titanium carbo-nitride (TiCN) film on NiTi shape memory alloy substrate using the Cathodic Arc Physical Vapor Deposition (CAPVD) technique. Our study emphasized positive cellular responses of TiCN-coated NiTi substrate on diabetic rat tooth gum cells for 1, 15, and 30 days. Initially, the evaluation focused on the characterization and distribution of NiTi alloy in tissues. Then, the levels of factors such as components of White Blood Cells (WBC), ATP, oxidative stress parameters, cytochrome c release and damage to the lysosomal membrane were evaluated in all groups. The results indicated that in the group of diabetic rats with TiCN-coated NiTi substrate, the level of oxidative stress parameters decreased. In addition, the cell viability, glutathione (GSH) intracellular and ATP increased and the rate of cytochrome c release, and damage to the lysosome membrane decreased. It can be concluded that the TiCN-coated NiTi screw is a promising material for bone jaw tissue replacement in diabetic patients due to its low cytotoxicity.