Subcutaneous implantation of hydroxylapatite/collagen in induced diabetic and non-diabetic rats.

To evaluate tissue reaction to hydroxylapatite (HA) and HA/collagen mixtures in rats with uncontrolled induced diabetes, 48 males were divided: 24 with induced diabetes (ID) from Streptozotocin (70 mg/kg) and 24 non-diabetic (ND) controls. Three subcutaneous sites in each chest were randomly implanted with non-porous HA, or non-porous HA and bovine collagen, or non-porous HA and purified fibrillar collagen. Subgroups of 6 ID and 6 ND rats were killed at 4, 6, 12, and 24 weeks post-implantation. Histologic specimens showed that all materials elicited greater inflammatory response in ID than in ND at all intervals. Each specimen had HA particles encapsulated by host fibrous tissue. Compared to ND, ID specimens had markedly reduced ingrowth and maturity of collagen at each time interval. There was no osteogenesis, but there was dystrophic mineralization within the implant sites in both ID and ND. Mixed HA/collagen exceeded HA alone in maintaining implant contour. In soft tissue, no materials were osteoinductive. Adding collagen did not increase or decrease inflammatory reaction nor improve density and maturity of tissue synthesized around implants.