Behaviour of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells on Amine Plasma-Coated Materials with Various Chemical Structures and Morphologies.

Ivana Nemcakova,Lucie Blahova,Lenka Zajíčková,Andreu Blanquer,Lucie Bacakova,Petr Rysanek

doi:10.3390/ijms21249467

Abstract

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.

Highlights

Cardiovascular diseases are an increasing population health problem, and are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality
A significant thickness loss was observed for plasma polymer (PP) that were prepared at low applied power and retained a high amount of amine groups. These findings were taken into account when choosing the plasma conditions for amine-PP deposition in the present study focused on acquiring more information about the biocompatibility and immunogenicity of amine-PP-coated polycaprolactone nanofiber (PCL NF) mats intended for the manufacture of artificial vascular grafts
The nitrogen content and, the nitrogen to carbon (N/C) ratio decreased with the rising applied power, and was noticeably lower on PCL NFs than on PS dishes

Summary

Introduction

Cardiovascular diseases are an increasing population health problem, and are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Many patients do not have suitable blood vessels available because of previous surgery or disease. Used vascular substitutes are manufactured from polymeric materials because of their low cost, easy processing, and good tenability. The most widely used polymers are expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET; Dacron) [2,3]. These polymers are not biodegradable, and they are not able to grow with child patients to remodel or to self-repair in vivo. EPTFE and PET, they are in clinical use, are not suitable for manufacturing small-diameter (

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