title: Surface characterization of poly(methyl methacrylate) microgrooved for contact guidance of mammalian cells.
abstract: High-resolution patterns of grooves have been made in poly(methyl methacrylate) films, PMMA, by an electron-beam microlithographic process. The surface of films processed over a large width was characterized in terms of chemical composition (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy), wettability (sessile drop) and topography (atomic force microscopy). Collagen adsorption was also studied (radiocounting, XPS) as such or in competition with Pluronic F68. The chemical alteration of the surface induced by the electron-beam irradiation disappeared after the dissolution involved in the development process. W138 human fibroblasts cultivated on microgrooved substrata (grooves 1 microm deep and 0.5-10 microm wide) showed a strong orientation parallel to the grooves. The contact guidance is induced by the topography of the surface and not by the alternation of zones with different physico-chemical properties. It may be explained in terms of probability of successful substratum contact by cell protrusions.
authors.affiliation: Unité de chimie des interfaces, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Alaerts
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: De Cupere
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Van den Bosh de Aguilar
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Rouxhet
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002417:Cattle; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003094:Collagen; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate