Surface Modification with an Antithrombin-Heparin Complex for Anticoagulation: a Voltammetry Study of Cell Adhesion on a Model Surface

Abstract

Engineering the surface chemistry of a material so that it can interface with cells is an extraordinarily demanding task. The surface of a cell is composed of thousands of different lipids, proteins and carbohydrates, all intricately (and dynamically) arranged in three dimensions on multiple length scales. This complexity presents both a challenge and an opportunity to chemists working on bioactive interfaces. In this paper, polyurethane (PU) films, modified with an antithrombin-heparin complex (ATH), are used as substrates for endothelial cell attachment and growth. These processes and the corresponding surface fonctionnalization are characterized using Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), contact angle measurement and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). It is observed that the addition of a small amount of heparin and AT additives onto the polymer surface results in a considerable change in the surface characteristics, and it is found that PU films that were modified with the ATH complex are able to greatly enhance the adhesion and proliferation of endothelial cells (ECs).