title: Schwann cell response on polypyrrole substrates upon electrical stimulation.
abstract: Current injury models suggest that Schwann cell (SC) migration and guidance are necessary for successful regeneration and synaptic reconnection after peripheral nerve injury. The ability of conducting polymers such as polypyrrole (PPy) to exhibit chemical, contact and electrical stimuli for cells has led to much interest in their use for neural conduits. Despite this interest, there has been very little research on the effect that electrical stimulation (ES) using PPy has on SC behavior. Here we investigate the mechanism by which SCs interact with PPy in the presence of an electric field. Additionally, we explored the effect that the adsorption of different serum proteins on PPy upon the application of an electric field has on SC migration. The results indicate an increase in average displacement of the SC with ES, resulting in a net anodic migration. Moreover, indirect effects of protein adsorption due to the oxidation of the film upon the application of ES were shown to have a larger effect on migration speed than on migration directionality. These results suggest that SC migration speed is governed by an integrin- or receptor-mediated mechanism, whereas SC migration directionality is governed by electrically mediated phenomena. These data will prove invaluable in optimizing conducting polymers for their different biomedical applications such as nerve repair.
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, MC C0400, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
authors: Leandro
authors: L
authors: Forciniti
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, MC C0800, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
authors: Jose
authors: J
authors: Ybarra
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 38 Cummington Street, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors: Muhammad H
authors: MH
authors: Zaman
authors: J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. Electronic address: schmidt@bme.ufl.edu.
authors: Christine E
authors: CE
authors: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D011108:Polymers / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D011506:Proteins; D011758:Pyrroles; C067635:polypyrrole
keywords: Electrically mediated cell migration; Polypyrrole; Protein adsorption; Schwann cell migration