ENDOTHELIAL CELL VIABILITY AND ADHESION OVER POLYURETHANES: EFFECT OF COMPOSITION

Endothelial Cells (ECs) play a key role in the performance of vascular grafts. The EC monolayer prevents clot formation, maintains laminar flow, regulates immune response and other signals. So, materials for vascular grafts should support EC adhesion and should not be toxic. In this work, Polyurethanes (PU) biocompatibility was tested by cell viability and adhesion tests. PUs were synthetized from a mixture of polyethylene glycol (PEG), polycaprolactone diol (PCL) and pentaerythritol as a crosslinker. PUs with an equal amount of PEG and PCL enhanced cell viability and adhesion. Additionally, results revealed that ECs preferred surfaces that were neither the most hydrophobic nor hydrophilic ones. Also, PUs can sustain cell life over time. Tests after 69 hours of culture showed viability over 70%. Finally, four compositions were selected as the most feasible materials for EC growth.