Abstract
Using poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) possessing methacryloyl groups at both ends (PEG-DMA), patterned PEG gel surface was constructed on the silanized glass surface by photo-lithography technique. Prior to the photo-irradiation, the prepolymer coupled with photoinitiator (Irgacure 2959) was spin-coated on the silanized glass surface. Two casting solvents, methanol and methanol/water (50/50 vol. %) were employed because of low solubility of Irgacure 2959 in aqueous media. Using stainless mask having 100 micro-m aligned holes separated by 100 micro-m intervals (edge-to-edge), patterned circular PEG gels with 100 miciro-m diameter on the glass surface was constructed by both casting solvents. When the pattern was constructed using methanol as casting solvent, endothelial cells were attached on the glass surface, but not on the circular PEG gel surfaces to obtained aligned endothelial cell patterned surface. On the contrary, when the pattern was constructed by water/methanol mixture as a casting solvent, endothelial cells were attached on the PEG gel surface, but not on the glass surface. Thus, completely reversed patterned culture was achieved only by changing casting solvents. Surface analyses of the patterned surfaces were carried out to understand the difference in these cell attachment phenomena.
