Assessment of acute systemic and subacute toxicity of a new alloy based on titanium nickelide with the addition of silver to replace bone defects in children

Background: Currently, restoration of bone tissue damaged in injuries and surgical interventions remains an urgent problem in medicine. Combination of titanium nickelide with added silver seems a promising one in terms of decreasing the inflammatory process, speedy regeneration and restoration of damaged bone tissue function. Aim: To find out levels of possible acute systemic and subacute toxicity of the innovative titanium nickelide alloy with silver in an experiment on laboratory animals. Methods: The study of acute systemic toxicity was carried out in white outbred mice (17–23 g). Acute systemic toxicity was studied in white outbred mice (17–23 g). Supernatant liquid of titanium nickelide alloy powder with water-based 0.5% silver was injected into the tail vein (n=10), non water-based ― intraperitoneally (n=10), in volume of 50 ml/kg. In the control group (n=10), the same substance was used , but without silver. To identify the subacute toxicity, studied samples were sewn into the thigh muscles of Wistar rats (250–320 g): three experimental groups (n=10) ― titanium nickelide with 0.3% silver, 0.5% silver and 0% silver. The fourth group (n=10) ― controls (wound modeling without powder injection). After 28 days, the animals were removed from the experiment, and hematological and biochemical blood tests were performed. Results: No animal deaths or adverse clinical signs were recorded following the acute systemic toxicity test. The number of erythrocytes in the blood of experimental animals after intramuscular administration of titanium nickelide with 0.5% silver was significantly higher than in the control rats, but remaining within the normal limits for this indicator. A moderate decrease in platelet levels in the animals treated with titanium nickelide and 0.3% silver may be explained by anti-inflammatory activity of the sample. Urea concentration in the blood of animals after sewn-in titanium nickelide with 0.5% silver was significantly lower than in control animals (p=0.019), which may be due to increased silver concentration in the alloy; however, it requires further research. Conclusion: New materials based on titanium nickelide with added silver do not have acute systemic or subacute toxicity.