ADSORPTION OF FIBRONECTIN, ALBUMIN AND FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR-BASICONTO POLYELECTROLYTE COMPLEX (PEC), WHICH CONTROLS HUMAN PERIODONTAL-LIGAMENT FIBROBLAST (HPLF) PROLIFERATION AND DIFFERENTIATION

Cells in vivo are surrounded by many types of extracellular matrices ( e.g., collagen, proteoglycans, and adhesion proteins), vitamins, growt h factors, and hormones which control cell functions. Poly-electrolyte complex (PEC), composed of polysaccharides, has a structure similar t o that of glycosaminoglycans. In order to assess the importance of the adsorption of fibronectin (hFN), albumin (Alb), and fibroblast growth factor-basic (FGF-b) onto PECs in effecting cell proliferation, the h FN and Alb adsorbed onto the surface had a charge balance which decrea sed with the increasing negative charge on CS100-SCHNx (SPECs). Howeve r, in the case of using CCHN70 as a polyanion, the amount of their ads orption was at minimum when the charge balance = 0. Moreover, Alb adso rption onto PECs increased with an increase in the degree of substitut ion of anionic functional groups of polyanion. On the other hand, the amount of FGF-b adsorption onto CPEC70 (CS100-CCHN70) was higher than that onto SPECs, although cell proliferation was more pronounced on SP ECs than on CPEC70. As has been reported previously [1], cell morpholo gies showed an aggregate on CPEC70 and a spreading on SPECs. Therefore , the high amount of FGF-b adsorption onto CPEC70 might be attributabl e to induce cell aggregation and differentiation.