Human endothelial cell growth and coagulant function varies with respect to interfacial properties of polymeric substrates.

The in vitro coagulant function of human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) was investigated when grown on a series of polymer surfaces that ranged from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. The polymer interface materials were prepared by radiofrequency plasma polymerization from hexamethyl-disilazane, gamma-butyrolactone, and N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone and deposited onto tissue culture Permanox. The three plasma polymers were noncytotoxic. When precoated with fibronectin (FN), HAECs on all four polymer surfaces were similar with respect to cell proliferation and coagulant function. Without FN precoating, cell proliferation and spreading increased with increasing surface hydrophilicity. Normalized production of tissue-type plasminogen activator increased with increasing hydrophilicity of the polymers during early incubation times, as did tissue plasminogen activator/plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 ratios. In comparison, normalized von Willebrand factor release decreased on the more hydrophilic surfaces. Thus, both endothelial cell growth and some coagulant/fibrinolytic functions are improved with increasing substrate hydrophilicity.