Cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility of a novel chitosan-alginate gel system.

Two chitosan-alginate gel systems in the form of membranes were produced and evaluated. The first membrane was produced by a novel gel system formed after blending N-(methylsulfonic acid) chitosan with ammonium alginate (CAG1) and the second was an N-(methylsulfonic acid) chitosan-sodium alginate blend cross-linked with glutaraldehyde and calcium chloride (CAG2). The cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility of the gels were examined by assessing the cell viability of 3T3 Swiss mouse fibroblasts, whole blood hemolysis, and platelet activation. Cell viability was not significantly different by exposure to these gels compared to the controls. Both gel types had minimal effect on hemolysis of whole heparinized rabbit blood after 1-h exposure. Further platelet activation by the surfaces was also minimal. These results indicate that these novel gels merit further investigation for blood contact applications.