2004 Volume 29 Issue 1 Pages 50-57
Cell growth and the production of substance were investigated in animal cells cultured on extracellular matrix (ECM) protein membranes and various polymeric membranes prepared by Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) and casting methods. The relationship between the cell growth or spreading and physical properties (i.e., contact angle and surface roughness) of the polymeric membranes where the cells were cultivated was investigated. Exponential relationship was observed in the plots of the cell density versus root mean square of roughness of the membranes, which was estimated by atomic force microscopy. The cell growth and spreading ratio of animal cells were found to be higher on the LB membranes which adsorbed the serum proteins containing higher content of α-helix than those on the casting membranes. The contact angle of LB membranes was found to be different from that of cast membranes prepared from the same polymer used in the LB membranes. The maximum cell density and spreading ratio were observed on the membranes having a contact angle of around 55 degrees. It is suggested that the adsorbed serum proteins having high α-helix contents on the membranes control and stabilize the proliferation and spreading of animal cells cultivated on the membranes. The highest concentration of CEA was found in the cell culture media of CW-2 cells on collagen (COL) -immobilized PVA-EA membranes. This is explained by the flexible mobility of COL on the COL-immobilized PVA-EA membranes causing a specific cell response for the production of CEA. An inverse relationship was observed between either the cell density, or the CEA concentration in the cell culture media, and the amount of fibronectin (FN) adsorbed on the COL-immobilized membranes. These findings indicate that cells tend to attach to the surface by secreting ECM proteins such as FN when they are grown on substrates that provide weak cell attachment.
