Cell mimetic lateral stabilization of outer cell mimetic bilayer on polymer surfaces by peptide bonding and their blood compatibility.

The biological lipid bilayer membranes are stabilized laterally with the help of integral proteins. We have simulated this with an optimized ternary phospholipid/glycolipid/cholesterol system, and stabilized laterally on functionalized poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) surfaces, using albumin, heparin, and polyethylene glycol as anchors. We have earlier demonstrated the differences due to orientation and packing of the ternary phospholipid monolayers in relation to blood compatibility (Kaladhar and Sharma, Langmuir 2004;20:11115-11122). The structure of albumin is changed here to expose its interior hydrophobic core by treating with organic solvent. The interaction between the hydrophobic core of the albumin molecule and the hydrophobic core of the lipid molecules is confirmed by incorporating the molecule into bilayer membranes. The secondary structure of the membrane incorporated albumin is studied by CD spectral analysis. The structure of the altered albumin molecule contains more beta-sheet as compared to the native albumin. This conformation is also retained in membranes. The partitioning of the different anchors based on its polarity and ionic interactions in the monolayer is studied from the pressure-area (pi-A) isotherm of the lipid monolayers at the air/water interface using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) trough facility. Such two monolayers are deposited onto the functionalized PMMA surface using LB trough and crosslinked by carbodiimide chemistry. The structure of the deposited bilayer is studied by depth analysis using contact mode AFM in dry conditions. The stabilized bilayer shows stability up to 1 month by contact angle studies. Preliminary blood compatibility studies reveal that the calcification, protein adsorption, as well as blood-cell adhesion is significantly reduced after the surface modification. The reduced adsorption of ions, proteins, and cells to the modified surfaces may be due to the fluidity of the microenvironment along with the contribution of the mobile PEG groups at the surface and the phosphorylcholine groups of the phospholipids. The stability of the anchored bilayer under low shear stress conditions promises that the laterally stabilized supported bilayer system can be used for low shear applications like small diameter vascular graft and modification of biosensors, and so forth.