title: Biomimetic fluorocarbon surfactant polymers reduce platelet adhesion on PTFE/ePTFE surfaces.
abstract: We describe a series of fluorocarbon surfactant polymers designed as surface-modifying agents for improving the thrombogenicity of ePTFE vascular graft materials by the reduction of platelet adhesion. The surfactant polymers consist of a poly(vinyl amine) backbone with pendent dextran and perfluoroundecanoyl branches. Surface modification is accomplished by a simple dip-coating process in which surfactant polymers undergo spontaneous surface-induced adsorption and assembly on PTFE/ePTFE surface. The adhesion stability of the surfactant polymer on PTFE was examined under dynamic shear conditions in PBS and human whole blood with a rotating disk system. Fluorocarbon surfactant polymer coatings with three different dextran to perfluorocarbon ratios (1:0.5, 1:1 and 1:2) were compared in the context of platelet adhesion on PTFE/ePTFE surface under dynamic flow conditions. Suppression of platelet adhesion was achieved for all three coated surfaces over the shear-stress range of 0-75 dyn/cm2 in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or human whole blood. The effectiveness depended on the surfactant polymer composition such that platelet adhesion on coated surfaces decreased significantly with increasing fluorocarbon branch density at 0 dyn/cm2. Our results suggest that fluorocarbon surfactant polymers can effectively suppress platelet adhesion and demonstrate the potential application of the fluorocarbon surfactant polymers as non-thrombogenic coatings for ePTFE vascular grafts.
authors.affiliation: NanoMimetics, Inc., 1768 E. 25th Street, Cleveland, OH 44114, USA. sxw45@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Shuwu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Anirban Sen
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sagnella
authors.forename: Pamela M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Barendt
authors.forename: Kandice
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kottke-Marchant
authors.forename: Roger E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Marchant