Interaction between Poly(α-amino acid) Membranes and Celi

Abstract

Homopolymers and copolymers composed of L-amino acids without charge were synthesized, and an interaction between these polymer membranes and cell was studied by a cell culture method. The cell line derived from a human gingival carcinoma (Ca.9.22) was used, and the initial cell attachment and rate of cell growth on the polymer membranes were measured, and morphology of cells attached on the polymer membranes was observed with a scanning electron microscope. The initial cell attachment, the rate of cell growth, and the morphology of cells were found to be considerably different among the polymers used, and the difference was attributable to that in the chemical structure of side chain of the polymers because all the polymers prepared had a-helical structure. Oxidized poly(L-methionine), hydrophobic copolymers containing L-leucine, and 3-amino-l-propanol-treated poly(γ-benzyl L-glutamate)had low percentage of the initial cell attachment (Table 2), and on these polymer surfaces filopodium of the cells could not be found and cells aggregated to form masses ( Fig.5).3-Amino-l-propanol-treated copoly(L-leucine, γ-benzyl L-glutamate), copoly(γ-methyl, glutamate, γ-benzyl L-glutamate), and poly(L-methionine) had high percentage of the initial cell attachment (Table 2), and on these surfaces filopodium of the cells could be found and the cells spread out extensively (Fig.5). The contact angle for water on the polymers with higher percentage of the initial cell attachment was in the range of 60 to 70degree (Fig.3). The rate of cell growth decreased with an increase in the percentage of initial cell attachment (Fig.4).