In Vitro Biocompatibility of Sheath–Core Cellulose-Acetate-Based Electrospun Scaffolds Towards Endothelial Cells and Platelets

Abstract

Typically, tissue-engineered scaffolds mimic the topographical properties of the native extracellular matrix. However, other physical properties, such as the scaffold mechanical stiffness, are not imitated. The purpose of this study was to fabricate scaffolds with improved mechanical properties and investigate their biocompatibility towards endothelial cells and platelets. To enhance mechanical properties, an electrospinning apparatus was developed that fabricates fibers with sheath-core morphologies. Different combinations of cellulose acetate and chitosan were chosen to modulate the mechanical properties of the formed fibers. We hypothesized that mechanically stiffer scaffolds would improve endothelial cell growth and that all scaffolds would be compatible towards endothelial cells and platelets. Endothelial cell-culture conditions were quantified up to 5 days. Migration onto scaffolds was monitored for 10 days. Platelet aggregation, antagonized by thrombin receptor agonist peptide 6, was measured after scaffold incubation. A platelet activation time-course was assessed with the modified prothrombinase assay. As scaffold mechanical stiffness increased, endothelial cell growth within and adhesion to and migration throughout the scaffolds was promoted. Also, scaffolds did not induce platelet aggregation or activation. These results indicate that the mechanical stiffness of engineered scaffolds regulates endothelial cell-culture parameters and that these sheath-core electrospun scaffolds are compatible towards endothelial cells and platelets.

Cellulose-based materials as scaffolds for tissue engineering

“…Positive effects of chitosan on the adhesion and growth of cells were also reported for vascular endothelial cells grown on cellulose acetate-chitosan composites (Rubenstein et al 2010), skin keratinocytes on bacterial cellulose-chitosan films (Kingkaew et al 2010) or for 3T3 fibroblasts on cellulose sulfates and chitosan sulfates (Weltrowski et al 2012). Chitosan has also been shown to have positive influence on cell differentiation, e.g.…”

“…The positive effects of chitosan on the cell performance on cellulose-based materials have been explained by several factors, e.g. improvement of the mechanical properties of the cellulose materials by chitosan (Rubenstein et al 2010), protection of growth factors against their proteolytic cleavage by chitosan (Weltrowski et al 2012), and interaction of positively charged amino groups of chitosan and negatively charged cell membranes (Kingkaew et al 2010). In this context, derivatives of microdispersed oxidized cellulose and arginine, which also contains positively charged amino groups, stimulated the proliferation of human peripheral blood leukocytes and mouse splenocytes (Jelinkova et al 2002).…”

“…an amino acid with a basic side chain (Harms et al 2011), or with chitosan, a linear cationic polysaccharide which has been shown to improve the adhesion and growth of several types of cells, e.g. vascular endothelial cells (Rubenstein et al 2010), skin keratinocytes (Kingkaew et al 2010) and 3T3 fibroblasts (Weltrowski et al 2012) on cellulosebased scaffolds.…”

Glycated Albumin Modulates Endothelial Cell Thrombogenic and Inflammatory Responses

“…The resulting solution was gently mixed, and absorbance at 630 nm was quantified using a microplate reader (Beckman Coulter, DTX 880). 17 For statistical analysis, metabolic activity was normalized by the metabolic activity for cells exposed to no added albumin after three days in culture (each experiment was paired).…”

“…Using previously established methods, 16,17 we quantified the morphology of HUVECs that were exposed to glycated albumin ( Table 1). In conjunction with this, morphological changes were verified with scanning electron microscopy ( Figure 2).…”