title: Galactosylated PVDF membrane promotes hepatocyte attachment and functional maintenance.
abstract: One of the major challenges in BLAD design is to develop functional substrates suitable for hepatocyte attachment and functional maintenance. In the present study, we designed a poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) surface coated with galactose-tethered Pluronic polymer. The galactose-derived Pluronic F68 (F68-Gal) was adsorbed on PVDF membrane through hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction between PVDF and the polypropylene oxide segment in Pluronic. The galactose density on the modified PVDF surface increased with the concentration of the F68-Gal solution, reaching 15.4 nmol galactosyl groups per cm2 when a 1 mg/ml of F68-Gal solution was used. The adsorbed F68-Gal remained relatively stable in culture medium. Rat hepatocytes attachment efficiency on F68-Gal modified PVDF membrane was similar to that on collagen-coated surface. The attached hepatocytes on PVDF/F68-Gal membrane self-assembled into multi-cellular spheroids after 1 day of culture. These attached hepatocytes in spheroids exhibited higher cell functions such as albumin synthesis and P450 1A1 detoxification function compared to unmodified PVDF membrane and collagen-coated surface. These results suggest the potential of this galactose-immobilized PVDF membrane as a suitable substrate for hepatocyte culture.
authors.affiliation: Tissue and Therapeutic Engineering Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
authors.forename: Hong-Fang
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Wei Seng
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi-Qun
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Peng-Chi
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Kam W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: Ser Mien
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.forename: Hanry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Hai-Quan
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Mao
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D048429:Cell Size / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D005690:Galactose / Q000737:chemistry*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019164:Liver, Artificial; D008297:Male; D008422:Materials Testing; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011145:Polyvinyls / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005465:Fluorocarbon Polymers
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D005690:Galactose; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011145:Polyvinyls; C024865:polyvinylidene fluoride; D005465:Fluorocarbon Polymers