Amine-coated biodegradable materials based on synthetic polymers have a great potential for tissue remodeling and regeneration because of their excellent processability and bioactivity. In the present study, we have investigated the influence of various chemical compositions of amine plasma polymer (PP) coatings and the influence of the substrate morphology, represented by polystyrene culture dishes and polycaprolactone nanofibers (PCL NFs), on the behavior of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Although all amine-PP coatings improved the initial adhesion of VSMCs, 7-day long cultivation revealed a clear preference for the coating containing about 15 at.% of nitrogen (CPA-33). The CPA-33 coating demonstrated the ideal combination of good water stability, a sufficient amine group content, and favorable surface wettability and morphology. The nanostructured morphology of amine-PP-coated PCL NFs successfully slowed the proliferation rate of VSMCs, which is essential in preventing restenosis of vascular replacements in vivo. At the same time, CPA-33-coated PCL NFs supported the continuous proliferation of VSMCs during 7-day long cultivation, with no significant increase in cytokine secretion by RAW 264.7 macrophages. The CPA-33 coating deposited on biodegradable PCL NFs therefore seems to be a promising material for manufacturing small-diameter vascular grafts, which are still lacking on the current market.

• Keywords
• amine plasma polymer, bioactive coating, cell adhesion, cell proliferation, polycaprolactone nanofibers, substrate morphology,
• MeSH
• Amines adverse effects   chemistry   immunology   pharmacology   MeSH
• Coated Materials, Biocompatible adverse effects   chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Cell Adhesion drug effects   immunology   MeSH
• Photoelectron Spectroscopy MeSH
• Plasma chemistry   immunology   MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Cells, Cultured MeSH
• Macrophages drug effects   metabolism   MeSH
• Myocytes, Smooth Muscle drug effects   metabolism   MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Nanofibers adverse effects   chemistry   MeSH
• Polyesters chemistry   MeSH
• Polymers adverse effects   chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Surface Properties drug effects   MeSH
• Cell Proliferation drug effects   MeSH
• RAW 264.7 Cells MeSH
• Muscle, Smooth, Vascular cytology   drug effects   growth & development   MeSH
• Tissue Scaffolds adverse effects   chemistry   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Amines MeSH
• Coated Materials, Biocompatible MeSH
• polycaprolactone MeSH Browser
• Polyesters MeSH
• Polymers MeSH

While polymers are widely utilized materials in the biomedical industry, they are rarely used in an unmodified state. Some kind of a surface treatment is often necessary to achieve properties suitable for specific applications. There are multiple methods of surface treatment, each with their own pros and cons, such as plasma and laser treatment, UV lamp modification, etching, grafting, metallization, ion sputtering and others. An appropriate treatment can change the physico-chemical properties of the surface of a polymer in a way that makes it attractive for a variety of biological compounds, or, on the contrary, makes the polymer exhibit antibacterial or cytotoxic properties, thus making the polymer usable in a variety of biomedical applications. This review examines four popular methods of polymer surface modification: laser treatment, ion implantation, plasma treatment and nanoparticle grafting. Surface treatment-induced changes of the physico-chemical properties, morphology, chemical composition and biocompatibility of a variety of polymer substrates are studied. Relevant biological methods are used to determine the influence of various surface treatments and grafting processes on the biocompatibility of the new surfaces-mammalian cell adhesion and proliferation is studied as well as other potential applications of the surface-treated polymer substrates in the biomedical industry.

• Keywords
• antimicrobial properties, laser treatment, nanoparticles, nanoscale design, plasma exposure, surface modification, tissue engineering,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH

Protein-repulsive surfaces modified with ligands for cell adhesion receptors have been widely developed for controlling the cell adhesion and growth in tissue engineering. However, the question of matrix production and deposition by cells on these surfaces has rarely been addressed. In this study, protein-repulsive polydopamine-poly(ethylene oxide) (PDA-PEO) surfaces were functionalized with an RGD-containing peptide (RGD), with a collagen-derived peptide binding fibronectin (Col), or by a combination of these peptides (RGD + Col, ratio 1:1) in concentrations of 90 fmol/cm(2) and 700 fmol/cm(2) for each peptide type. When seeded with vascular endothelial CPAE cells, the PDA-PEO surfaces proved to be completely non-adhesive for cells. On surfaces with lower peptide concentrations and from days 1 to 3 after seeding, cell adhesion and growth was restored practically only on the RGD-modified surface. However, from days 3 to 7, cell adhesion and growth was improved on surfaces modified with Col and with RGD + Col. At higher peptide concentrations, the cell adhesion and growth was markedly improved on all peptide-modified surfaces in both culture intervals. However, the collagen-derived peptide did not increase the expression of fibronectin in the cells. The deposition of fibronectin on the material surface was generally very low and similar on all peptide-modified surfaces. Nevertheless, the RGD + Col surfaces exhibited the highest cell adhesion stability under a dynamic load, which correlated with the highest expression of talin and vinculin in the cells on these surfaces. A combination of RGD + Col therefore seems to be the most promising for surface modification of biomaterials, e.g. vascular prostheses.

• MeSH
• Adsorption MeSH
• Biomimetics * MeSH
• Cell Adhesion * MeSH
• Gene Expression MeSH
• Fibronectins chemistry   genetics   MeSH
• Indoles chemistry   MeSH
• Cells, Cultured MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
• Oligopeptides chemistry   MeSH
• Polyethylene Glycols chemistry   MeSH
• Polymers chemistry   MeSH
• Surface Properties MeSH
• Amino Acid Sequence MeSH
• Talin genetics   MeSH
• Vinculin genetics   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Fibronectins MeSH
• Indoles MeSH
• Oligopeptides MeSH
• polydopamine MeSH Browser
• Polyethylene Glycols MeSH
• Polymers MeSH
• Talin MeSH
• Vinculin MeSH

Cell colonization of synthetic polymers can be regulated by physical and chemical modifications of the polymer surface. High-density and low-density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE) were therefore activated with Ar⁺ plasma and grafted with fibronectin (Fn) or bovine serum albumin (BSA). The water drop contact angle usually decreased on the plasma-treated samples, due to the formation of oxidized groups, and this decrease was inversely related to the plasma exposure time (50-300 s). The presence of nitrogen and sulfur on the polymer surface, revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and also by immunofluorescence staining, showed that Fn and BSA were bound to this surface, particularly to HDPE. Plasma modification and grafting with Fn and BSA increased the nanoscale surface roughness of the polymer. This was mainly manifested on HDPE. Plasma treatment and grafting with Fn or BSA improved the adhesion and growth of vascular smooth muscle cells in a serum-supplemented medium. The final cell population densities on day 6 after seeding were on an average higher on LDPE than on HDPE. In a serum-free medium, BSA grafted to the polymer surface hampered cell adhesion. Thus, the cell behavior on polyethylene can be modulated by its type, intensity of plasma modification, grafting with biomolecules, and composition of the culture medium.

• Keywords
• albumin, bioactivity, biocompatibility, cell spreading area, fibronectin, nanoscale surface roughness, plasma treatment, tissue engineering, wettability,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The attractiveness of synthetic polymers for cell colonization can be affected by physical, chemical, and biological modification of the polymer surface. In this study, low-density polyethylene (LDPE) was treated by an Ar(+) plasma discharge and then grafted with biologically active substances, namely, glycine (Gly), polyethylene glycol (PEG), bovine serum albumin (BSA), colloidal carbon particles (C), or BSA+C. All modifications increased the oxygen content, the wettability, and the surface free energy of the materials compared to the pristine LDPE, but these changes were most pronounced in LDPE with Gly or PEG, where all the three values were higher than in the only plasma-treated samples. When seeded with vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), the Gly- or PEG-grafted samples increased mainly the spreading and concentration of focal adhesion proteins talin and vinculin in these cells. LDPE grafted with BSA or BSA+C showed a similar oxygen content and similar wettability, as the samples only treated with plasma, but the nano- and submicron-scale irregularities on their surface were more pronounced and of a different shape. These samples promoted predominantly the growth, the formation of a confluent layer, and phenotypic maturation of VSMC, demonstrated by higher concentrations of contractile proteins alpha-actin and SM1 and SM2 myosins. Thus, the behavior of VSMC on LDPE can be regulated by the type of bioactive substances that are grafted.

• MeSH
• Aorta cytology   drug effects   MeSH
• Biocompatible Materials chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Cell Adhesion drug effects   MeSH
• Glycine chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Cells, Cultured MeSH
• Myocytes, Smooth Muscle cytology   drug effects   MeSH
• Polyethylene chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Polyethylene Glycols chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Surface Properties MeSH
• Cell Proliferation drug effects   MeSH
• Serum Albumin, Bovine chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Muscle, Smooth, Vascular cytology   drug effects   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Biocompatible Materials MeSH
• Glycine MeSH
• Polyethylene MeSH
• Polyethylene Glycols MeSH
• Serum Albumin, Bovine MeSH

High-density polyethylene (PE) foils were modified by an Ar(+) plasma discharge and subsequent grafting with biomolecules, namely glycine (Gly), polyethylene glycol (PEG), bovine serum albumin (BSA), colloidal carbon particles (C) or BSA and C (BSA + C). As revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), goniometry and Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS), the surface chemical structure and surface morphology of PE changed dramatically after plasma treatment. The contact angle decreased for the samples treated by plasma, mainly in relation to the formation of oxygen structures during plasma irradiation. A further decrease in the contact angle was obvious after glycine and PEG grafting. The increase in oxygen concentration after glycine and PEG grafting proved that the two molecules were chemically linked to the plasma-activated surface. Plasma treatment led to ablation of the PE surface layer, thus the surface morphology was changed and the surface roughness was increased. The materials were then seeded with vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) derived from rat aorta and incubated in a DMEM medium with fetal bovine serum. Generally, the cells adhered and grew better on modified rather than on unmodified PE samples. Immunofluorescence showed that focal adhesion plaques containing talin, vinculin and paxillin were most apparent in cells on PE grafted with PEG or BSA + C, and the fibres containing alpha-actin, beta-actin or SM1 and SM2 myosins were thicker, more numerous and more brightly stained in the cells on all modified PE samples than on pristine PE. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed increased concentrations of focal adhesion proteins talin and vinculin and also a cytoskeletal protein beta-actin in cells on PE modified with BSA + C. A contractile protein alpha-actin was increased in cells on PE grafted with PEG or Gly. These results showed that PE activated with plasma and subsequently grafted with bioactive molecules and colloidal C particles, especially with PEG and BSA + C, promotes the adhesion, proliferation and phenotypic maturation of VSMC.

• Keywords
• bioactivity, biocompatibility, plasma irradiation, tissue engineering and reconstruction,
• MeSH
• Actins metabolism   MeSH
• Aorta cytology   MeSH
• Cell Adhesion drug effects   MeSH
• Glycine pharmacology   MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Cells, Cultured MeSH
• Oxygen metabolism   MeSH
• Microscopy, Atomic Force MeSH
• Polyethylene chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Polyethylene Glycols chemistry   pharmacology   MeSH
• Cell Proliferation drug effects   MeSH
• Serum Albumin, Bovine pharmacology   MeSH
• Cattle MeSH
• Muscle, Smooth, Vascular cytology   drug effects   metabolism   MeSH
• Carbon chemistry   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Cattle MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Actins MeSH
• Glycine MeSH
• Oxygen MeSH
• Polyethylene MeSH
• Polyethylene Glycols MeSH
• Serum Albumin, Bovine MeSH
• Carbon MeSH

The surface of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) films deposited on glass coverslips was modified with poly(DL-lactide) (PDLLA), or 1:4 mixtures of PDLLA and PDLLA-b-PEO block copolymers, in which either none, 5% or 20% of the copolymer molecules carried a synthetic extracellular matrix-derived ligand for integrin adhesion receptors, the GRGDSG oligopeptide, attached to the end of the PEO chain. The materials, perspective for vascular tissue engineering, were seeded with rat aortic smooth muscle cells (11,000 cells/cm(2)) and the adhesion, spreading, DNA synthesis and proliferation of these cells was followed on inert and bioactive surfaces. In 24-h-old cultures in serum-supplemented media, the number of cells adhering to the PDLLA-b-PEO copolymer was almost eight times lower than that on the control PDLLA surface. On the surfaces containing 5% and 20% GRGDSG-PEO-b-PDLLA copolymer, the number of cells increased 6- and 3-fold respectively, compared to the PDLLA-b-PEO copolymer alone. On PDLLA-b-PEO copolymer alone, the cells were typically round and non-spread, whereas on GRGDSG-modified surfaces the cell spreading areas approached those found on PDLLA, reaching values of 991 microm(2) and 611 microm(2) for 5% and 20% GRGDSG respectively, compared to 958 microm(2) for PDLLA. The cells on GRGDSG-grafted copolymers were able to form vinculin-containing focal adhesion plaques, to synthesize DNA and even proliferate in a serum-free medium, which indicates specific binding to the GRGDSG sequences through their adhesion receptors.

• MeSH
• Coated Materials, Biocompatible administration & dosage   chemistry   MeSH
• Cell Adhesion drug effects   MeSH
• Cell Culture Techniques methods   MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Cells, Cultured MeSH
• Myocytes, Smooth Muscle cytology   drug effects   physiology   MeSH
• Oligopeptides administration & dosage   chemistry   MeSH
• Polyesters chemistry   MeSH
• Rats, Wistar MeSH
• Surface Properties MeSH
• Cell Proliferation drug effects   MeSH
• Muscle, Smooth, Vascular cytology   drug effects   physiology   MeSH
• Materials Testing MeSH
• Tissue Engineering methods   MeSH
• Cell Survival drug effects   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid MeSH Browser
• Coated Materials, Biocompatible MeSH
• Oligopeptides MeSH
• poly(lactide) MeSH Browser
• Polyesters MeSH