title: Assessment of cell viability in a three-dimensional enzymatically cross-linked collagen scaffold.
abstract: Microbial transglutaminase (mTGase) is an enzyme that introduces a covalent bond between peptide bound glutamine and lysine residues. Proteins cross-linked in this manner are often more resistant to proteolytic degradation and show increased tensile strength. This study evaluates the effects of mTGase mediated cross-linking of collagen on the cellular morphology, behaviour and viability of murine 3T3 fibroblasts following their seeding into collagen scaffolds. Additionally, cell mediated scaffold contraction, porosity and level of cross-linking of the scaffold has been analysed using image analysis software, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), colorimetric assays, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). We demonstrate that the biocompatibility and cellular morphology, when comparing cultures of fibroblasts integrated in mTGase cross-linked collagen scaffolds with the native collagen counterparts, remained unaffected. It has been also elicited that the structural characteristics of collagen have been preserved while introducing enzymatically resistant covalent bonds.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. yolanda.garcia@nuigalway.ie
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Collighan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pandit
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells; D000818:Animals; D001562:Benzimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D048430:Cell Shape; D002470:Cell Survival; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects*; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000494:pharmacology; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*; D011503:Transglutaminases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D001562:Benzimidazoles; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D003094:Collagen; D007770:L-Lactate Dehydrogenase; D011503:Transglutaminases; C017807:bisbenzimide ethoxide trihydrochloride