Surface Heparinization of Polyurethane Via Bromoalkylation of Hard Segment Nitrogens

Evaluation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells growth onto heparin-modified electrospun vascular grafts

One of the main challenges of cardiovascular tissue engineering is the development of bioresorbable and compliant small-diameter vascular grafts (SDVG) for patients where autologous grafts are not an option. In this work, electrospun bilayered bioresorbable SDVG based on blends of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and segmented polyurethane (PHD) were prepared and evaluated. The inner layer of these SDVG was surface-modified with heparin, following a methodology involving PHD urethane functional groups. Heparin was selected as anticoagulant agent, and also due to its ability to promote human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) growth and to inhibit smooth muscle cells over-proliferation, main cause of neointimal hyperplasia and restenosis. Immobilized heparin was quantified and changes in SDVG microstructure were investigated through SEM. Tensile properties of the heparin-functionalized SDVG resembled those of saphenous vein. Vascular grafts were seeded with HUVECs and cultured on a flow-perfusion bioreactor to analyze the effect of heparin on graft endothelization under simulated physiological-like conditions. The analysis of endothelial cells attachment and gene expression (Real-Time PCR) pointed out that the surface functionalization with heparin successfully promoted a stable and functional endothelial cell layer.

Description of D-glucosamine immobilization kinetics onto poly(lactic acid) surface via a multistep physicochemical approach for preparation of novel active biomaterials

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) has shown much success in the preparation of tissue engineering scaffolds as it can be fabricated with a tailored architecture. However, the PLA surface has drawbacks including the lack of biofunctional motifs which are essential for high affinity to biological cells. Therefore, this study describes a multistep physicochemical approach for the immobilization of d-glucosamine (GlcN), a naturally occurring monosaccharide having many biological functions, on the PLA surface aiming at enhancing the cell proliferation activity. In this approach, poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) spacer arms are first introduced into the PLA surface via plasma post-irradiation grafting technique. Then, covalent coupling or physical adsorption of GlcN with/on the PAAc spacer is carried out. Factors affecting the grafting yield are controlled to produce a suitable spacer for bioimmobilization. X-ray photon spectroscopic (XPS) analyses confirm the immobilization of GlcN on the PLA surface. The XPS results reveal also that increasing the yield of grafted PAAc spacer on the PLA surface increases the amount of covalently immobilized GlcN, but actually inhibits the immobilization process using the physical adsorption method. Contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy (AFM) show a substantial increase of surface energy and roughness of PLA surface, respectively, upon the multistep modification procedure. The cytocompatibility of the modified surfaces is assessed using a mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cell line. Observation from the cell culture basically demonstrates the potential of GlcN immobilization in improving the cytocompatibility of the PLA surface. Moreover, the covalent immobilization of GlcN seems to produce more cytocompatible surfaces if compared with the physical adsorption method. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 3176-3188, 2017.

End-point immobilization of heparin on plasma-treated surface of electrospun polycarbonate-urethane vascular graft

Small-diameter synthetic vascular grafts have high failure rate due to primarily surface thrombogenicity, and effective surface chemical modification is critical to maintain the patency of the grafts. In this study, we engineered a small-diameter, elastic synthetic vascular graft with off-the-shelf availability and anti-thrombogenic activity. Polycarbonate-urethane (PCU), was electrospun to produce nanofibrous grafts that closely mimicked a native blood vessel in terms of structural and mechanical strength. To overcome the difficulty of adding functional groups to PCU, we explored various surface modification methods, and determined that plasma treatment was the most effective method to modify the graft surface with functional amine groups, which were subsequently employed to conjugate heparin via end-point immobilization. In addition, we confirmed in vitro that the combination of plasma treatment and end-point immobilization of heparin exhibited the highest surface density and correspondingly the highest anti-thrombogenic activity of heparin molecules. Furthermore, from an in vivo study using a rat common carotid artery anastomosis model, we showed that plasma-heparin grafts had higher patency rate at 2weeks and 4weeks compared to plasma-control (untreated) grafts. More importantly, we observed a more complete endothelialization of the luminal surface with an aligned, well-organized monolayer of endothelial cells, as well as more extensive graft integration in terms of vascularization and cell infiltration from the surrounding tissue. This work demonstrates the feasibility of electrospinning PCU as synthetic elastic material to fabricate nanofibrous vascular grafts, as well as the potential to endow desired functionalization to the graft surface via plasma treatment for the conjugation of heparin or other bioactive molecules.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Vascular occlusion remains the leading cause of death all over the world, despite advances made in balloon angioplasty and conventional surgical intervention. Currently, autografts are the gold-standard grafts used to treat vascular occlusive disease. However, many patients with vascular occlusive disease do not have autologous vascular graft available. Therefore, there is a widely recognized need for a readily available, functional, small-diameter vascular graft (inner diameter of <6mm). This work addresses this critical need by developing a method of antithrombogenic modification of synthetic grafts.

Orthogonally Functionalizable Polyurethane with Subsequent Modification with Heparin and Endothelium-Inducing Peptide Aiming for Vascular Reconstruction

Surface coimmobilization modifications of blood-contacting devices with both antithrombogenic moieties and endothelium-inducing biomolecules may create a synergistic effect to improve their performance. However, it is difficult to perform covalent dual-functionalization with both biomolecules on the surface of normally used synthetic polymeric substrates. Herein, we developed and characterized an orthogonally functionalizable polymer, biodegradable elastic poly(ester urethane)urea with disulfide and amino groups (PUSN), which was further fabricated into electropun fibrous scaffolds and surface modified with heparin and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) recruiting peptide (TPS). The modification effects were assessed through platelet adhesion, EPC, and HUVEC proliferation. Results showed the dual modified PUSN scaffolds demonstrated a synergistic effect of reduced platelet deposition and improved EPC proliferation in vitro study, and demonstrated their potential application in small diameter vascular regeneration.

The blood and vascular cell compatibility of heparin-modified ePTFE vascular grafts

Prosthetic vascular grafts do not mimic the antithrombogenic properties of native blood vessels and therefore have higher rates of complications that involve thrombosis and restenosis. We developed an approach for grafting bioactive heparin, a potent anticoagulant glycosaminoglycan, to the lumen of ePTFE vascular grafts to improve their interactions with blood and vascular cells. Heparin was bound to aminated poly(1,8-octanediol-co-citrate) (POC) via its carboxyl functional groups onto POC-modified ePTFE grafts. The bioactivity and stability of the POC-immobilized heparin (POC-Heparin) were characterized via platelet adhesion and clotting assays. The effects of POC-Heparin on the adhesion, viability and phenotype of primary endothelial cells (EC), blood outgrowth endothelial cells (BOECs) obtained from endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) isolated from human peripheral blood, and smooth muscle cells were also investigated. POC-Heparin grafts maintained bioactivity under physiologically relevant conditions in vitro for at least one month. Specifically, POC-Heparin-coated ePTFE grafts significantly reduced platelet adhesion and inhibited whole blood clotting kinetics. POC-Heparin supported EC and BOEC adhesion, viability, proliferation, NO production, and expression of endothelial cell-specific markers von Willebrand factor (vWF) and vascular endothelial-cadherin (VE-cadherin). Smooth muscle cells cultured on POC-Heparin showed increased expression of α-actin and decreased cell proliferation. This approach can be easily adapted to modify other blood contacting devices such as stents where antithrombogenicity and improved endothelialization are desirable properties.

Effects of surface functionalization of PLGA membranes for guided bone regeneration on proliferation and behavior of osteoblasts

Covalent immobilization of bioactive compounds onto modified poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) surfaces is being rapidly developed in tissue engineering, but the compounds and the grafting procedure require optimization. Here, PLGA membranes were grafted with various ratios of collagen/chitosan (COL/CHI) composites after modification by polydopamine and then analyzed using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and a contact angle meter. Mechanical properties of the membranes were examined by tensile testing. Proliferation of osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 cultured on the membranes was examined by MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiozole-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) and flow cytometric analysis. Effects on cell behavior, including cytotaxis, adhesion, and migration, were further investigated by continuous time-lapse imaging for 8 h. The COL/CHI composites were successfully immobilized onto PLGA surfaces. PLGA mainly contributed the mechanical properties, while COL/CHI played a major role in bioactivity. COL facilitated cell adhesion and spread, but the addition of CHI decreased both. A critical ratio of COL/CHI (2:1) above which the addition of CHI only slightly impacted cell proliferation was found. The results should be useful for combining versatile materials from different origins to construct guided bone regeneration membranes and to further optimize the ratio of COL/CHI composites.

Covalent attachment of multilayers on poly(tetrafluoroethylene) surfaces

These studies demonstrate a new approach of producing multifunctionalized coatings on poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) surfaces by covalent attachments of multilayers (CAM) of heparin (HP) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). This process can be universally applied to other covalently bonded species and was facilitated by microwave plasma reactions in the presence of maleic anhydride which, upon ring-opening and hydrolysis, provided covalent attachment of COOH groups to PTFE. These studies showed that alternating layers of PEG and HP can be covalently attached to COOH-PTFE surfaces, and the volume concentration and surface density of PEG and HP on the PTFE surface achieved by the CAM were 7.02-6.04 × 10(-3) g/cm(3) (2.1-1.8 × 10(-7) g/cm(2)) and 9.3-8.7 × 10(-3) g/cm(3) (2.8-2.6 × 10(-7) g/cm(2)), respectively. The CAM process may serve numerous applications when the covalent modification of inert polymeric substrates is required and particularly where the presence of bioactive species for biocompatibility enhancement is desirable.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as a highly sensitive tool for a dynamic interaction study between heparin and antithrombin: a novel antithrombin sensor

Specific recognition between two biological partners is widely exploited in biosensors nowadays. To explore this avenue, a novel biosensor for antithrombin (AT) detection was constructed. Heparin was used as the affinity ligand. A well-known acrylic monomer (butyl methacrylate) was polymerized and grafted onto the heparin polysaccharide by the use of ceric ammonium nitrate as a redox initiator in aqueous nitric acid medium. Polymers were deposited as a thin layer onto surface of stainless steel electrode (SS316L). The obtained polymers were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Moreover, the films were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), contact-angle measurements and AFM. EIS was used to study the biosensor affinity to AT and the relationship between functionalization growth of modified electrode and the response of the sensor. The proposed approach appears to be simple, sensitive and correlated with methods that analyse the detection of antithrombin.

Prevention of polyurethane oxidative degradation with phenolic antioxidants covalently attached to the hard segments: structure-function relationships

Oxidative degradation of the polyurethane elastomeric (PU) components greatly reduces the efficacy of PU-containing cardiovascular devices. Covalently appending the phenol-based antioxidant, 4-substituted 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol (DBP), to PU hard segments effectively reduced oxidative degradation of the PU in vivo and in vitro in prior studies by our group. In these experiments, we analyze the contribution of the tethering molecule to the antioxidant capabilities of the DBP-modified PU. Bromoalkylation chemistry was used to link DBP to the hard segment of the polyether PU, Tecothane, via our original linker (PU-DBP) or variants containing side chains with one (PU-C-DBP) or three (PU-3C-DBP) carbons. Two additional DBP variants were fabricated in which the DBP group was appended to the alkyl chain via an oxygen atom (PU-O-DBP) or an amide linkage in the middle of the tether (PU-NHCO-DBP). All DBP variant films and unmodified control films were subject to oxidative degradation via 15-day immersion in a solution of 20% H(2)O(2) + 0.1M CoCl(2). At the end of the oxidation protocol, films were analyzed for the presence of oxidation-related endpoints via scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurements, and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). All DBP-containing variants resisted oxidation damage significantly better than the unmodified control PU. SEM analysis of oxidized PU-C-DBP and PU-O-DBP showed evidence of surface cracking, consistent with oxidative degradation of the PU surfaces. Similarly, there was a trend in increased ether crosslinking, a marker for oxidative degradation, in PU-C-DBP and PU-NHCO-DBP films. Consistent with these FTIR results, both PU-C-DBP and PU-NHCO-DBP had significant reductions in measured surface hydrophobicity as a result of oxidation. These data show for the first time that the choice of linker molecule significantly affects the efficiency of the linked phenolic antioxidant.

Characterization and cytocompatibility of surface modified polyamide66

The chemical modification of polyamide66 (PA66) membrane by graft polymerization with methacrylic acid (MAA) was initiated under ultraviolet light. Subsequently, covalent immobilization of bioactive surface was obtained by coupling gelatin to the MAA graft chains with the aid of a water-soluble carbodiimide (WSC). The existence of carboxyl groups grafted on PA66 surface was verified quantitatively by UV-vis spectroscopy. The chemical composition, surface topography, and wettability were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) technique, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and water contact angle (WCA) measurement. Results showed that the WCA changed from the original value of 67.5 degrees to the minimum value of 30 degrees after grafting with PMAA. Original PA66 displayed a smooth surface morphology [root mean square (RMS) roughness was around 16 nm]. The modified PA66 surface exhibited an increase in roughness (RMS roughness around 21 nm). Simultaneously, the original and modified PA66 membranes were cultured with MG63 cells to investigate their cytocompatibility. The in vitro biological evaluation demonstrated that the immobilization of gelatin on PA66 membrane acted as a good template for the attachment and proliferation of cells. Also, the less toxic reagents and the moderate reaction conditions involved will be very helpful for the introduction of functional groups onto polymer surface.

Biological stability of polyurethane modified with covalent attachment of di-tert-butyl-phenol

Polyurethane cardiovascular implants are subject to oxidation initiated surface degradation, which is mediated by monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM); this often leads to surface cracking and device failure. The present studies examined the hypothesis that covalently attaching antioxidant, di-tert-butylphenol (DBP), to the urethane nitrogens of a polyether polyurethane (PU) via bromo-alkylation reactions could prevent this problem. PU was configured with two dosages of DBP, 0.14 mM DBP/g PU of DBP (PU-DBP) and a more highly modified (HM) 0.40 mM DBP/g PU (PU-DBP-HM). THP-1 cells, a human MDM cell line, stimulated with phorbol ester and seeded on PU, PU-DBP, and PU-DBP-HM films were assessed for reactive oxygen species (ROS) production via a fluorescent based dihydrorhodamine-123 assay. Results from these studies showed a significant dose-dependent reduction of ROS levels for THP-1 cells seeded on PU-DBP versus unmodified PU. PU, PU-DBP, or PU-DBP-HM films were implanted into subdermal pouches of Sprague-Dawley rats. Films were explanted after 10 weeks and assessed for oxidative degradation via light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Light microscopy showed extensive surface cracking, which was confirmed via SEM, on unmodified PU surfaces that was absent in both PU-DBP and PU-DBP-HM explanted films. FTIR analysis showed reduction in oxidation-induced ether crosslinking that was directly related to DBP dosages. It is concluded that modifying PU with the covalent attachment of an antioxidant confers biodegradation resistance in vivo in a dose dependent manner; this effect is likely due to quenching of the ROS generated by the adherent macrophages.