Cytocompatibility of Silicone Elastomer Grafted with γ-Methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane

Abstract

γ-Methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (γ-MPS) was grafted on a silicone elastomer by emulsion polymerization in order to improve cytocompatibility. The wettability of the grafted surface was evaluated with a contact angle toward distilled water. By grafting within 30 min at 60°C, the contact angle was reduced from 110° to about 70° while it remained almost constant for longer grafting. A larger number of osteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1) and fibroblast cells (L929) proliferated on the surface modified with γ-MPS compared with the original silicone surface. After culturing for 7 d, the cells completely covered the grafted surface and even formed a cell layer.