Poly(styrenesulfonate)/poly(allylamine) multilayers: a route to favor endothelial cell growth on expanded poly(tetrafluoroethylene) vascular grafts.

Small-diameter synthetic vascular grafts of expanded poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (ePTFE) polymer concern one of the most common alternatives for the replacement of diseased vessels. However, high failure rates arise especially due to the lack of endothelial cells (ECs). EC seeding was developed to build a monolayer on the luminal surface. Because ECs show little or no adhesion on synthetic prostheses, it is necessary to promote their retention. On ePTFE surfaces we successfully deposited polyelectrolyte multilayer films (PMFs) consisting of poly(ethylenimine) (PEI), poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS), and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) to obtain PEI-(PSS-PAH)3 films. EC adhesion and spreading on modified ePTFE were assessed by scanning electron and confocal microscopies. Cell viability was evaluated by Alamar Blue assay. After 7 days of culture, the ePTFE modified with PMF exhibited improvements of EC viability as compared to that of the controls (nonmodified ePTFE) or even ePTFE coated by a PAH monolayer (p < 0.05). Moreover, the spreading of ECs was largely enhanced compared to that of the same controls, resulting in a healthy confluent cell monolayer formation. Positive staining for the von Willebrand factor confirmed the EC phenotype. Promoting EC attachment and function on ePTFE modified with PMFs could become in the future a promising treatment for synthetic small-diameter vascular grafts.