Promoting endothelial cell affinity and antithrombogenicity of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) by mussel-inspired modification and RGD/heparin grafting

Hao Yang Mi, Xin Jing*, James A. Thomsom, Lih Sheng Turng

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal Article peer-review

64 Scopus citations

Abstract

When used as small-diameter vascular grafts (SDVGs), synthetic biomedical materials like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) may induce thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia due to the lack of an endothelial cell layer. Modification of the PTFE in an aqueous solution is difficult because of its hydrophobicity. Herein, aiming to simultaneously promote endothelial cell affinity and antithrombogenicity, a mussel-inspired modification approach was employed to enable the grafting of various bioactive molecules like RGD and heparin. This approach involves a series of pragmatic steps including oxygen plasma treatment, dopamine (DA) coating, polyethylenimine (PEI) grafting, and RGD or RGD/heparin immobilization. Successful modification in each step was verified via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Plasma treatment increased the hydrophilicity of PTFE, thereby allowing it to be efficiently coated with dopamine. Grafting of dopamine, RGD, and heparin led to an increase in surface roughness and a decrease in water contact angle due to increased surface energy. Platelet adhesion increased after dopamine and RGD modification, but it dramatically decreased when heparin was introduced. All of these modifications, especially the incorporation of RGD, showed favorable effects on endothelial cell attachment, viability, and proliferation. Due to strong cell-substrate interactions between endothelial cells and RGD, the RGD/heparin-grafted PTFE demonstrated high endothelial cell affinity. This facile modification method is highly suitable for all hydrophobic surfaces and provides a promising technique for SDVG modification to stimulate fast endothelialization and effective antithrombosis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3475-3485
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Materials Chemistry B
Volume6
Issue number21
DOIs
StatePublished - 2018
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
©2018 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

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