Biomimetic porous high-density polyethylene/polyethylene-grafted-maleic anhydride scaffold with improved in vitro cytocompatibility. (May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sharma, Swati; Bhaskar, Nitu; Bose, Surjasarathi; Basu, Bikaramjit
• Is Part Of: Journal of biomaterials applications. Volume 32:Number 10(2018.)
• Page Start: 1450
• Page End: 1463
• Publication Date: 2018-05
• Subjects: High-density polyethylene -- polyethylene-grafted-maleic anhydride -- polyethylene oxide -- cytocompatibility -- scaffold -- compatibilizer; Biomedical engineering -- Periodicals; Biomedical materials -- Periodicals; 610.28
• DOI: 10.1177/0885328218766742
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0885-3282

Abstract

A major challenge for tissue engineering is to design and to develop a porous biocompatible scaffold, which can mimic the properties of natural tissue. As a first step towards this endeavour, we here demonstrate a distinct methodology in biomimetically synthesized porous high-density polyethylene scaffolds. Co-extrusion approach was adopted, whereby high-density polyethylene was melt mixed with polyethylene oxide to form an immiscible binary blend. Selective dissolution of polyethylene oxide from the biphasic system revealed droplet–matrix-type morphology. An attempt to stabilize such morphology against thermal and shear effects was made by the addition of polyethylene- grafted -maleic anhydride as a compatibilizer. A maximum ultimate tensile strength of 7 MPa and elastic modulus of 370 MPa were displayed by the high-density polyethylene/polyethylene oxide binary blend with 5% maleated polyethylene during uniaxial tensile loading. The cell culture experiments with murine myoblast C2C12 cell line indicated that compared to neat high-density polyethylene and high-density polyethylene/polyethylene oxide, the high-density polyethylene/polyethylene oxide with 5% polyethylene- grafted -maleic anhydride scaffold significantly increased muscle cell attachment and proliferation with distinct elongated threadlike appearance and highly stained nuclei, in vitro . This has been partly attributed to the change in surface wettability property with a reduced contact angle (∼72°) for 5% PE- g -MA blends. These findings suggest that the high-density polyethylene/polyethylene oxide with 5% polyethylene- grafted -maleic anhydride can be treated as a cell growth substrate in bioengineering applications.