title: UV surface modification of a new nanocomposite polymer to improve cytocompatibility.
abstract: A novel modified nanocomposite was studied for the adhesion and proliferation of the human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) line EA.hy926. The nanocomposite under investigation was poly(carbonate-urea)urethane with silsesquioxane nano-cages, here in the form of a mixture of two polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes. The nanocomposite surfaces were exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light of a Xe(*)(2)-excimer lamp at a wavelength of 172 nm in an ammonia atmosphere. The effects of the irradiation were characterized by atomic force and scanning electron microscopy (AFM, SEM), X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) using an attenuated total reflection (ATR) device and measurements of advancing water contact angle (CA). The irradiation resulted in the introduction of new hydrophilic N- and O-containing groups into the surface, which was initially amphiphilic, while surface morphology remained mainly unchanged. Slight chemical changes were also observed for the silsesquioxane nano-cages at the surface. Onto the untreated and irradiated samples HUVECs were seeded and grown for various durations in culture. Standard tissue-culture polystyrene (PS) was employed as a positive control to check the efficiency of the cell-culture methods. Viability and proliferation of the cells were then assessed using a non-radioactive assay. Compared to the untreated nanocomposite polymer, irradiation times of at least 5 min resulted in a significantly increased cell proliferation between 3 and 8 days after seeding with the HUVEC line EA.hy926.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Physics, Johannes Kepler University Linz, A-4040 Linz, Austria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olbrich
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Punshon
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Frischauf
authors.forename: Henryk J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Salacinski
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rebollar
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romanin
authors.forename: Alexander M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Seifalian
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heitz
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry / Q000528:radiation effects*; D010777:Photochemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011108:Polymers