AVS 50th International Symposium
    Biomaterial Interfaces Tuesday Sessions
       Session BI-TuP

Paper BI-TuP24
Tissue Formation of Endothelial Cells on a Microporous Film of Biodegradable Polymer

Tuesday, November 4, 2003, 5:30 pm, Room Hall A-C

Session: Poster Session
Presenter: T. Nishikawa, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Japan
Authors: T. Nishikawa, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Japan
T.A. Ohzono, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Japan
J. Hayashi, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Japan
M. Hara, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Japan
M.A. Shimomura, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Japan
Correspondent: Click to Email
Micropatterned surface is considered to be a promising biointerface that can control both surface chemistry and surface morphology of cell culture substrates. The biointerface to be issued in this report is a microporous film of biodegradable polymers. Honeycomb films are microporous films of polymers which are formed by applying moist air to a spread polymer solution. We report the tissue formation of endothelial cells (ECs) on self-supporting honeycomb films. The tissue formation was studied in regard to cell-matrix adhesion, proliferation, and movement. Honeycomb films were prepared from mixtures of biodegradable polymers (poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(@epsilon@-caprolactone) (PCL)) and amphiphilic polymers). Adhesion behavior of ECs was characterized by formation of stress fiber of actin and localization of focal adhesion proteins at the interface between cells and culture substrate. ECs did not form focal adhesions on self-supporting microporous films. The modulated cell adhesion on the microporous films influenced cell-division cycle of ECs. Doubling time represents an average period of cell-division cycle. The doubling time of ECs estimated from the proliferation curves was 20 hrs on flat cast film of PCL and 27 hrs on microporous films of PCL. Micropores can be considered to be pathways connecting two sides of a self-supporting honeycomb film of PLLA. ECs were seeded onto a top side of a honeycomb film having an average poresize of 5 µm and an average thickness of 3 µm. At the day 11 of culturing, the cell culture was observed by confocal microscopy after staining filamentous actin of ECs and a honeycomb film with fluorescent probes. Monolayer of ECs was confirmed at each side of the honeycomb film. This suggests that ECs attached onto the top side pass through the micropores, appear on the bottom side of a honeycomb film, grow, proliferate, and finally cover the both sides of the honeycomb film.