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Polymers with tunable toxicity: A reference scale for cytotoxicity testing of biomaterial surfaces
Author(s) -
Knetsch Menno L.W.,
Olthof Nadine,
Koole Leo H.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of biomedical materials research part a
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.849
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1552-4965
pISSN - 1549-3296
DOI - 10.1002/jbm.a.31212
Subject(s) - vinculin , cytotoxicity , materials science , toxicity , paxillin , focal adhesion , copolymer , adhesion , methacrylate , biomaterial , cell adhesion , staining , biophysics , microbiology and biotechnology , polymer , cell , biochemistry , in vitro , chemistry , nanotechnology , biology , pathology , composite material , organic chemistry , medicine
A series of copolymers, with varying ratio di‐methylamino‐ethylmethacrylate (DMAEMA) and methyl‐methacrylate (MMA), was designed as a potential scale for cytotoxicity. These copolymers were characterized for toxicity of their surface. The surfaces of washed copolymers display increasing toxicity with increasing DMAEMA content. The toxicity was observed for three different cell‐types, namely mouse fibroblasts, human endothelial cells and human osteoblast‐like cells. With an increasing toxic surface, cell growth was inhibited as was indicated by the proliferation marker Ki‐67. Staining for F‐actin revealed that with increasing DMAEMA, cells adopted a more and more round morphology, resulting in decreased surface‐contact area. Immuno‐staining for phospho‐tyrosine or vinculin demonstrated gradual loss of focal adhesions on increasingly toxic surfaces. Surprisingly loss of focal adhesions coincided with an increase in paxillin and vinculin protein, indicating cells try compensating for loss of adhesion. This series of copolymers may have potential as a cytotoxicity scale. They provoke cellular responses ranging from highly toxic to completely non‐toxic, with some showing intermediate toxicity. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2007