Cellular responses of vascular endothelial cells on surface modified polyurethane films grafted electrospun PLGA fiber with microwave-induced plasma at atmospheric pressure

To improve cell-material interaction, the surface modification of materials in tissue engineering is carried out by change in chemical structure or by ion-beam irradiation and plasma treatment. The modifications of biological surface, such as coating or peptide grafting, may also enhance endothelialization of biomaterial surfaces. In this study, the surface of polyurethane (PU) grafted with electrospun poly (D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) fibers (PU/PLGA) was modified with microwave-induced argon plasma and the PU/PLGA films with plasma modified surface were examined to investigate their effects on the attachment and growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) for applications in vascular tissue engineering. In comparison with the control, PU film with microwave plasma modified surface was more hydrophilic and the roughness of the surface was enhanced. Furthermore, the plasma treatment on PU/PLGA has significantly increased the attachment of HUVECs and proliferation of the cells was slightly enhanced as well. These results suggested that the surface of PU/PLGA films modified with plasma treatment can be effectively used as a biocompatible material for vascular tissue engineering application, although more in-depth studies are needed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.