Biophysiochemical properties of endothelial cells cultured on bio-inspired collagen films

Background: In this study, we investigated the effect of the extracellular matrix on endothelial dysfunction by careful observation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured on denatured collagen film. Results: HUVECs on denatured collagen film showed relatively high surface roughness compared with normal HUVECs. The expression levels of MMP-1, MMP-2 and CD146 increased in the ECs on denatured collagen film. In addition, we examined the accumulation of fluorescent beads on HUVEC layers subjected to circulatory flow. The number of accumulated fluorescent beads increased on the disorganized HUVEC layers. Conclusions: The proposed in vitro study using bio inspired collagen films could potentially be used in the size- and ligand-based design of drugs to treat endothelial dysfunction caused by circulatory vascular diseases.