title: Human plasma alpha 2-macroglobulin promotes in vitro oxidative stress cracking of Pellethane 2363-80A: in vivo and in vitro correlations.
abstract: It is hypothesized in this study that the phenomenon of environmental stress cracking (ESC) in polyetherurethane is caused by a synergistic action of biological components in the body fluids, oxidative agents, and stress. An in vitro system is designed to mimic the in vivo system; human plasma contains certain biological components that can act as a stress cracking promoter, while H2O2 (Co) solution provides an oxidative reaction comparable to that observed in the respiratory burst of adherent macrophages and foreign-body giant cells. It is demonstrated that the phenomenon of in vivo stress cracking in Pellethane 2363-80A is duplicated by an in vitro system that involves a pretreatment of prestressed specimens with human plasma at 37 degrees C for 7 days followed by oxidation in 10% hydrogen peroxide with 0.10M cobalt chloride at 50 degrees C for 10 days. The pretreatment with plasma has a synergistic effect with the oxidation by H2O2 (Co) treatment to produce ESC. A plasma component responsible for promoting stress cracking in Pellethane polyurethane is identified to be alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M).
authors.affiliation: Department of Macromolecular Science, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106.
authors.forename: Q H
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: McNally
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Renier
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rose-Caprara
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hiltner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Urbanski
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Stokes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000737:chemistry*; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared / Q000379:methods; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013499:Surface Properties; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011140:Polyurethanes; D000511:alpha-Macroglobulins; C059617:pellethane 2363-55D