Culture of human vascular endothelial cells on a positively charged polystyrene surface, primaria: comparison with fibronectin-coated tissue culture grade polystyrene.

Two culture surfaces, fibronectin-coated tissue culture grade polystyrene and a surface-modified polystyrene called Primaria (Falcon), were compared. The morphological (contact inhibition and cobblestone aspect), biological (production of von Willebrand factor and prostacyclin) and physiological (growth activity, non-thombogenicity and regeneration after mechanical injury) properties of human endothelial cells were studied. Adhesion and growth of endothelial cells at low and clonal density were identical on both substrates and the biological properties were preserved. Regeneration of injured endothelium was less easy to study on Primaria polystyrene because the extracellular matrix was damaged during the lesion process. Nevertheless, Primaria polystyrene can easily be substituted for fibronectin coating in growth experiments, especially at very low seeding density.