Bioadhesion of Polyion Complex (PlC) Hydrogels Composed of Amphiphilic Phospholipid Polymers

Abstract

To investigate the tissue adhesive function of a hydrogel composed of biocompatible amphiphilic polymers, random and graft polymers were prepared from 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), electrolyte monomers and hydrophobic n-butyl methacrylate (BMA). The results of the fluorescence study suggested enhanced electrostatic interaction in the graft polymers compared to the random polymers. This is due to the strategically designed architectures and the hydrophobic BMA units. The results of the cytotoxicity test showed that the cytotoxicity of the MPC polymers was lower than that of glutaraldehyde, which is a crosslinking agent in the aldehyde-type tissue adhesives and is known to cause serious side effects. The cationic MPC polymers demonstrated higher cytotoxicity compared to the anionic ones, which demonstrated no significant cytotoxicity. The tissue adhesion of the PlC hydrogels was lower than that of a commercially available fibrin glue. However, the tissue adhesive strength increased with an increase in the polymer concentration and could be controlled by the water content of the hydrogel. In addition, balance of the electrolyte units for the PIC formation and the tissue adhesion is crucial for expression of adhesion. Although further investigation of the biocompatibility is required, it can be concluded that the PlC hydrogels formed by the amphiphilic MPC polymers can be a promising tissue adhesive which demonstrate tissue adhesion and biocompatibility according to the architectures and chemical structures.