Vascular smooth muscle cells in cultures on low density polyethylene modified with plasma discharge and biofunctionalization

Low density polyethylene (LDPE) was modified by an Ar plasma discharge and then grafted with glycine (Gly), bovine serum albumin (BSA) or polyethylene glykol (PEG). Some plasma-treated samples and samples grafted with BSA were exposed to a suspension of colloidal carbon particles (C, BSA+C). Pristine LDPE and tissue culture polystyrene dishes (PSC) were used as control samples. The materials were seeded with rat aortic smooth muscle cells and incubated in a medium DMEM with 10% of fetal bovine serum. On day 1 after seeding, the cells on LDPE modified with plasma only, Gly, BSA and BSA+C adhered in similar numbers as on PSC, while the values on non-modified and PEG-modified samples were significantly lower. On day 5, the highest cell numbers were found again on LDPE with Gly, BSA and BSA+C. On day 7, the highest number of cells was found on LDPE modified only with plasma. The latter cells also dis-played the largest cell spreading area. The increased cell colonization was probably due to the formation of oxygen-containing chemical functional groups after plasma irradiation, and also due to positive effects of grafted Gly, BSA and BSA in combination with colloidal C particles