title: Importance of uniform heparin coating on biopolymers.
abstract: Cardiopulmonary surgeries need connectors for extracorporeal circulation. The patient's blood in contact with the tube surfaces modifies its plasmatic proteins, promotes platelet aggregation, and activates the complement system, unleashing thrombus formation. Thus, it becomes necessary for an anticoagulant to keep the circuit free from these events. Heparin is the anticoagulant used even after reports about its disadvantages. Platelet adherence seems to be very dependent on the quality from the surfaces that can promote cellular proliferation, aggregation, and thrombosis. In this study, we compare the quality of the heparin-coated and uncoated surfaces. We used a blood cell culture and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to visualize the platelet aggregation. It was concluded that there are groove areas that permit platelet adherence, and if they are not coated totally by the heparin, aggregation still occurs although in lower scale than on the uncoated tubes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Biology, Biology Institute, and Technology Center, State University of Campinas, Cidade Universitária "Zeferino Vaz," Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Da Luz Moreira
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.forename: W P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Novello
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000737:chemistry; D003167:Complement Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation / Q000295:instrumentation; D006493:Heparin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010973:Platelet Adhesiveness / Q000187:drug effects; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D013499:Surface Properties; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D001704:Biopolymers; D001798:Blood Proteins; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D006493:Heparin