Enhancing the lubrication property and bacterial resistance is extremely important for interventional biomedical implants to avoid soft tissue damage and biofilm formation. In this study, a zwitterionic phosphorylcholine coating (PMPC) was successfully developed to achieve surface functionalization of a polyurethane (PU)-based ureteral stent via subsurface “grafting from” photopolymerization. Typical surface characterizations such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and surface wettability and morphology analyses examined by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy demonstrated that the phosphorylcholine polymer was grafted on the substrate with a thickness of 180 nm. Additionally, the tribological experiment performed by a universal material tester showed that the lubrication performance of PU–PMPC was significantly improved compared with that of PU. The in vitro experiments indicated that the PMPC coating was biocompatible and stably modified on the surface of the substrate with an excellent bacterial resistance rate of >90%. Furthermore, the result of the in vivo experiment showed that the anti-encrustation performance of the surface-functionalized ureteral stent was better than that of the bare ureteral stent. The great enhancement in the lubrication, bacterial resistance, and anti-encrustation properties of the phosphorylcholine coating was thought to be due to the hydration effects of the zwitterionic charges. In summary, the bioinspired zwitterionic phosphorylcholine coating developed herein achieved significantly improved lubrication, bacterial resistance, and anti-encrustation performances and could be used as a convenient approach for surface functionalization of interventional biomedical implants.
Endowing the implanted biomaterial with a wide range of functions, such as lubrication and antibacterial and anticoagulation properties, is essential for their safe clinical use. In the present study, based on the superlubrication mechanism of articular cartilage, a branched polyelectrolyte polymer (PEI-PMPC) was successfully synthesized based on tert-butyl hydroperoxide-initiated grafting polymerization and then applied to the biocompatible polyurethane (PU) surface. Specifically, the PU sheet was pretreated by polydopamine (PDA), and the PEI-PMPC polymer was grafted onto the PDAmodified PU surface by Schiff base reaction to generate a solid PDA/ PEI-PMPC coating. The unmodified and modified surfaces were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, water contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and surface zeta potential. To compare the lubrication, antibacterial behavior, and hemocompatibility, the relevant properties of the modified surfaces were evaluated by the tribological test, plate count method, surface morphology, hemolysis rate, activated partial thromboplastin time, and thrombin time. The experimental results demonstrated that the adhesion of bovine serum albumin, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, platelets, and red blood cells was significantly decreased on the PEI-PMPC-modified PU surface compared with that of the unmodified PU surface. The multifunctional properties of the coating were attributed to the hydration layer formed by zwitterionic phosphorylcholine groups, and additionally, the cationic PEI served to kill the bacteria adhering to the surface. In summary, the bioinspired coating proposed in this study could potentially be used as a promising surface functionalization strategy for biomedical implants.
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