Adhesion and proliferation of bovine aortic endothelial cells on monoamine- and diamine-containing polystyrene derivatives.

Abstract

Adhesion and proliferation of bovine aortic endothelial cells on polystyrene derivatives having monoamine or diamine side chain was investigated focusing on the chemical structure of amino groups. Copolymers, SE8.5, is composed of polystyrene with 8.5 mol% of monoamine side chains, and SED8, which is with 8 mol% of diamine side chains, were estimated to contain almost the same amount of protonated amino groups in bulk composition at physiological pH (pH 7.4). There observed significant difference in cellular spreading of attached endothelial cells between these two types of copolymer surfaces. Spreading-% of attached cells on SED8 surfaces was approximately 1.6 times greater than that on SE8.5 6 h after seeding. This difference in cellular spreading influenced to subsequent cell growth. Cellular growth on each polymer surface was featured by parameter k, which corresponds to the 'rate constant' of cellular proliferation. While the k-value for SE8.5 decreased with decreasing seeding density as well as the case for polystyrene, SED8 maintained a high k-value even at low seeding density as 2 x 10(3) cells/cm2. These results suggest that cells may recognize the difference in the chemical structure of amine side chains of SE and SED copolymers.