A photoactivated diazopyruvoyl cross-linking agent for bonding tissue containing type-I collagen.

On the basis of the earlier examples of diazopyruvoyl (DAP) groups reported by Lawton for covalent binding and cross-linking of proteins and oligopeptides and our recent demonstration that a coumaryl diazopyruvamide was used to label Type-I collagen, we have extended our investigations to the synthesis and cross-linking capabilities of a bis-DAP polyethylene glycol to cross-link Type-I collagen. The new photoactivated cross-linking agent, N,N'-bis(3-diazopyruvoyl)-2,2'-(ethylenedioxy)bis(ethylamine) (DPD, 2), has been designed and synthesized specifically to "weld" collagenous tissues by cross-linking Type-I collagen. A working model for the photochemical welding studies of collagenous tissues was developed using gelatin strips (gel strips) composed of denatured Type-I collagen. Gel strips are transparent to near-UV and visible light, uniform in thickness, and have reproducible composition. Furthermore, the availability of nucleophilic amine sites in gel strips was demonstrated by reaction with o-phthalaldehyde, producing a fluorescent derivative of the protein. Gel strips were coated with a solution of DPD in chloroform 7 irradiated at 320-390 nm, and the resulting bonded gel strips were tested for the strength of the weld. The welds were generally brittle and had average tensile strengths that exceeded 100 N/cm2. Welds were not formed in the absence of light or DPD. Scanning electron microscopy studies revealed a pockmarked surface from severed welds. Welds of rabbit Achilles tendon were also obtained using the tethered diazopyruvamide. These welds were much weaker, having an average tensile strength of 11.95 N/cm2 for DPD-2,2'-ethylenedioxy(bis)ethylamine comonomers in the cross-linking reaction. In both studies the welds obtained by this method were significantly stronger than the controls.