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Reactive Ion Plasma Modification of Poly(Vinyl‐Alcohol) Increases Primary Endothelial Cell Affinity and Reduces Thrombogenicity
Author(s) -
Jurney Patrick L.,
Anderson Deirdre E.J.,
Pohan Grace,
Yim Evelyn K. F.,
Hinds Monica T.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
macromolecular bioscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.924
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1616-5195
pISSN - 1616-5187
DOI - 10.1002/mabi.201800132
Subject(s) - thrombogenicity , vinyl alcohol , surface modification , fibrin , chemistry , endothelial stem cell , platelet , viability assay , platelet activation , intimal hyperplasia , materials science , biophysics , biomedical engineering , polymer chemistry , cell , immunology , in vitro , biochemistry , medicine , organic chemistry , biology , polymer , smooth muscle
Bulk material properties and luminal surface interaction with blood determine the clinical viability of vascular grafts, and reducing intimal hyperplasia is necessary to improve their long‐term patency. Here, the authors report that the surface of a biocompatible hydrogel material, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) can be altered by exposing it to reactive ion plasma (RIP) in order to increase primary endothelial cell attachment. The power and the carrier gas of the RIP treatment are varied and the resultant surface nitrogen, water contact angle, as well as the ability of the RIP‐treated surfaces to support primary endothelial colony forming cells is characterized. Additionally, in a clinically relevant shunt model, the amounts of platelet and fibrin attachment to the surface were quantified during exposure to non‐anticoagulated blood. Treatments with all carrier gases resulted in an increase in the surface nitrogen. Treating PVA with O 2 , N 2 , and Ar RIP increased affinity to primary endothelial colony forming cells. The RIP treatments did not increase the thrombogenicity compared to untreated PVA and had significantly less platelet and fibrin attachment compared to the current clinical standard of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). These findings indicate that RIP‐treatment of PVA could lead to increased patency in synthetic vascular grafts.