Polycarbonateurethane films containing complex of copper(II) catalyzed generation of nitric oxide

Abstract

AbstractNitric oxide (NO) is a well known potent antiplatelet agent, and its continuous release will effectively prevent the adhesion of platelets on artificial blood vessel walls. In this paper, polycarbonateurethane (PCU) with lipophilic Cu(II)‐complex (Cu(II)‐DTTCT) blending films were prepared and used as catalyst to generate NO from nitrite. The mechanical properties of PCU films blended with Cu(II)‐DTTCT were characterized by tensile strength measurement. The tensile stress and Young's modulus of PCU films blending with Cu(II)‐DTTCT increased, however, the elongation at break decreased compared with corresponding PCU films. The NO generation was investigated in vitro in the presence of NaNO2 and ascorbic acid in PBS (pH = 7.4) at 37°C. The flux of NO generation was quantitatively measured by Griess assay. NO flux and velocity increased with the increase of NaNO2 concentration, the concentration of ascorbic acid in PBS and the amount of Cu(II) in the films. The loss of Cu(II) from blending film surfaces was found during the in vitro NO generation experiments, which resulted in the decrease of NO flux in the second run. The PCU film could catalyze continually generation of NO for two days, which will provide a promising approach that enable endogenous NO generation on the surface of the medical devices. The generation of biologically active level of NO at the blood/polymer interface can reduce the risk of thrombosis on the implants. Polycarbonateurethane films with NO generation function may be used as high thromboresistant blood contacting materials or coating. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011