Endothelial cells on plasma-treated segmented-polyurethane: adhesion strength, antithrombogenicity and cultivation in tubes.

When the surface of segmented-polyurethane (SPU), where endothelial cells are not capable of proliferating, is modified by plasma treatment, the adhesion and proliferation of bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) can be drastically improved. The cells were capable of proliferating on the inner surface of a plasma-treated SPU-coated tube (length: 50 mm; inner diameter: 1.5 mm). When a steady flow shear stress of 9 Pa was applied to the cells proliferated on the modified SPU surface for 90 min, most cells did not detach from the surface. From an in vitro evaluation test of antithrombogenicity, the cell surface can be considered to provide an inert surface against thrombus formation and blood coagulation. From analyses of the plasma-treated SPU surface, it was suggested that the improvements in BAEC proliferation and adhesion after plasma treatment were due to the change in wettability of the surface. Data suggest that the plasma treatment would be useful for developing a small-calibre hybrid vascular graft.