Determining early adhesion of cells on polysaccharides/PCL surfaces by a quartz crystal microbalance

J Mater Sci Mater Med. 2012 Dec;23(12):3067-73. doi: 10.1007/s10856-012-4764-6. Epub 2012 Sep 12.

Abstract

The early adhesions of cells to various biopolymers are important to their growths and proliferations. Here, the adhesion of cells (e.g., fibroblasts) on the electrode of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) that was coated by PCL or PEG/PCL and further adsorbed by chitosan (CS) or CS/hyaluronic acid (HA) layers, was examined by cell-counting technique, QCM method and MTS assay under a serum-free condition for 3 h. The surfaces on electrodes of the QCM were confirmed to have been modified by measuring their contact angles, FT-IR spectra and the weights of biopolymers affected the frequency shifts of the QCM. Among tested surfaces on electrodes, the adhesion of fibroblasts on a HA/CS/PCL surface was the most (e.g., 3.08 × 10(5) cells/cm(2)) while that on a PEG/PCL surface was the least (e.g., 0.7 × 10(5) cells/cm(2)), as determined by cell-counting technique. The frequency shift and the mass of adhering fibroblasts on HA/CS/PCL electrodes were -3,537 ± 770 Hz and 3.78 ± 0.22 μg (n = 3), respectively, that were significantly exceeded those on other electrodes (-393 ± 58 Hz and 0.32 ± 0.06 μg, n = 3, respectively, for PEG/PCL electrodes). These results were consistent with cell-counting technique. Although MTS assay yielded similar results, it was less sensitive than the two aforementioned methods. In conclusion, modified electrodes of a QCM provide a convenient and sensitive method for examining the early adhesion of cells (e.g., 3 h) to biopolymer surfaces.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Biopolymers / analysis
  • Cell Adhesion
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chitosan / chemistry
  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible / analysis
  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible / chemistry
  • Electrodes
  • Fibroblasts / cytology
  • Fibroblasts / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hyaluronic Acid / analysis
  • Polyesters / chemistry*
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Polysaccharides / chemistry*
  • Quartz Crystal Microbalance Techniques

Substances

  • Biocompatible Materials
  • Biopolymers
  • Coated Materials, Biocompatible
  • Polyesters
  • Polymers
  • Polysaccharides
  • polycaprolactone
  • Hyaluronic Acid
  • Chitosan