Adhesion of cells to polystyrene surfaces.

Abstract

The surface treatment of polystyrene, which is required to make polystyrene suitable for cell adhesion and spreading, was investigated. Examination of surfaces treated with sulfuric acid or various oxidizing agents using (a) x-ray photoelectron and attenuated total reflection spectroscopy and (b) measurement of surface carboxyl-, hydroxyl-, and sulfurcontaining groups by various radiochemical methods showed that sulfuric acid produces an insignificant number of sulfonic acid groups on polystyrene. This technique together with various oxidation techniques that render surfaces suitable for cell culture generated high surface densities of hydroxyl groups. The importance of surface hydroxyl groups for the adhesion of baby hamster kidney cells or leukocytes was demonstrated by the inhibition of adhesion when these groups were blocked: blocking of carboxyl groups did not inhibit adhesion and may raise the adhesion of a surface. These results applied to cell adhesion in the presence and absence of serum. The relative unimportance of fibronectin for the adhesion and spreading of baby hamster kidney cells to hydroxyl-rich surfaces was concluded when cells spread on such surfaces after protein synthesis was inhibited with cycloheximide, fibronectin was removed by trypsinization, and trypsin activity was stopped with leupeptin.

Quantitative cell-adhesion assay for Clostridium difficile cytotoxin

“…Although we did not count adherent cells directly, it has previously been reported that about 80% of suspended BHK cells adhered to plastic tissue-culture plates in conditions similar to our own (Nath and Srere, 1977). Furthermore, we showed that in control conditions, in the absence of cytotoxin, BHK cell adhesion to plastic tissue-culture plates was maximal in 2 h. This was somewhat slower than previously observed by Nath and Srere (1977), but this may have been due to differences in several factors, including composition of serum (Knox, 1984), substrate surface (Curtis et al, 1983), and the amount of shear applied when washing unbound cells from plates.…”

Physical Properties of Polypeptide Electrospun Nanofiber Cell Culture Scaffolds on a Wettable Substrate

“…The molecular composition of the membrane (sialic acid is a major contributor) and the pH and composition of the surrounding medium together give cells a negative surface charge. Curtis et al [39] have observed that, whereas surfaces bearing cations are very adhesive for cells [40], adhesion of red blood cells on anionic surfaces decreases as charge density decreases [41]. This suggests that nucleated cell adhesion could be greater on fibers than glass after topographical differences were accounted for.…”

Influence of substratum surface chemistry/energy and topography on the human fetal osteoblastic cell line hFOB 1.19: Phenotypic and genotypic responses observed in vitro☆

“…Soon after, a variety of surface-synthesis strategies were explored, ranging from use of liquid-phase chemical oxidants [35,36] to application of gas-discharge treatments [37] now commonly employed in the commercial production of disposable plastic tissue cultureware [38]. Evidence mounted supporting the idea that a particular surface functional group -hydroxyl or carboxyl for example -was particularly stimulatory to cell adhesion and proliferation [39][40][41][42][43] over other functional groups. However, it has proven difficult in subsequent research to clearly separate cause-and-effect in the cell adhesion/proliferation process, especially in the ubiquitous presence of proteins, and by doing so, unambiguously separate surface chemistry from all other influences (such as surface energy/water wettability) [44].…”