Mucin Coatings Suppress Neutrophil Adhesion to a Polymeric Model Biomaterial

Abstract

Following our recent study on the fractionation, characterization, and model adsorption of mucins derived from bovine salivary glands (BSM), porcine stomach scrapings (PGM), and human whole saliva (MG1), we here present a microscopic evaluation of the interactions between mucin-coated substrates and human neutrophils. Our results show that surface-coating with BSM, PGM, and MG1 can be effectively used to suppress the adhesion of neutrophils to a polymeric model biomaterial (Thermanox). Neutrophil morphologies found on Thermanox substrates coated with mucins resemble those observed for nonactivated neutrophils found in circulation. Notably, low neutrophil adhesion can be obtained at a significantly lower coating concentration (0.125 mg/mL) for the compositionally complex MG1 mucin than for the relatively pure BSM and PGM mucins (1 mg/mL). Furthermore, since coating at a low BSM and PGM concentration (0.25 mg/mL) results in higher cell counts and more spread cells than in the high-concentration case, we suggest that dense mucin surface packing is critical for good coating performance. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates how mucins from three different sources, of different compositional and structural status, efficiently can be used to suppress neutrophil adhesion and activation. This finding makes them potent candidates for use as biomaterial coatings.

Interactions between human neutrophils and mucin-coated surfaces

“…In good agreement with our recent findings [16], the BSM, PGM and MG1 coatings were shown capable of effectively reducing the neutrophil activation normally following contact with the material surface (Fig. 2).…”

“…Recently, we performed a microscopic evaluation of the interactions between human neutrophils and substrates of a polyethylene terephthalate-based model biomaterial (Thermanox) coated with the BSM, PGM and MG1 mucins, respectively [16]. Our results showed that all mucins could be used to effectively suppress the adhesion of neutrophils to the material surface.…”

“…The neutrophil adhesion and morphology following substrate contact were recently evaluated microscopically on substrates coated with mucins under regular conditions and at higher mucin concentration [16]. Here, we performed complementary microscopic analyses on substrates coated with BSM and PGM, respectively, at pH 1, at pH 4 and at 1 M ionic strength.…”

Structural and Mechanical Properties of Thin Films of Bovine Submaxillary Mucin versus Porcine Gastric Mucin on a Hydrophobic Surface in Aqueous Solutions

“…2,4,5 Additionally, cell membrane-tethered mucins have also been shown to play a role in cell signaling via tyrosine phosphorylation triggering, among other things, pathways involved in cellular motility and adhesion. 6 Apart from being a key component of mucus, mucins are employed to tailor various surface and interfacial properties of engineering systems too, such as surface hydrophilization, 7 antifouling, [8][9][10][11] surface coating models for drug delivery systems, 12 and lubrication. [13][14][15][16][17][18] Many of these studies employed hydrophobic substrates for the adsorption of mucins from aqueous 3 solutions.…”

“…However, no criteria of selecting one type of mucin, e.g. BSM [7][8][9][10][11][12]16,17 or the other, i.e. PGM, [13][14][15] has been established in literature.…”