A kaempferol-loaded dehydrated amniotic membrane scaffold for enhancing bone defect repair in rats

WU et al.: KAEMPFEROL-AMNION SCAFFOLD FOR BONE DEFECT REPAIR IN RATS

Abstract

Regenerative medicine has emerged as a strategic solution for managing critical-size bone defects. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a dehydrated human amniotic membrane (HAM) scaffold loaded with kaempferol in enhancing bone regeneration in rat tibial defects. Forty male Sprague–Dawley rats underwent bilateral tibial defect surgery and were assigned to four groups: untreated defects (control), kaempferol (Kaem) alone, HAM alone and HAM combined with Kaem. Bone regeneration was assessed using radiographic and histopathological analyses at 4 and 8 weeks post-surgery. The expression levels of osteogenic markers, including COL1A1, Wnt3a, β-catenin, Runx2, Osteopontin, and Osterix, were analyzed by RT-PCR. Radiographic evaluation demonstrated significantly higher scores in the HAM + Kaem group at both 4 and 8 weeks compared to controls (p < 0.05). Histopathological analysis revealed a significant improvement in total bone healing scores at week 8 in the HAM + Kaem group. No significant differences were observed in inflammatory cell infiltration among groups at either time point. Gene expression analysis showed significant upregulation of all assessed osteogenic markers in the HAM + Kaem group at both time points (p < 0.05). Kaem-loaded HAM enhances bone defect repair; however, further optimization is required to improve kaempferol bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy.