Evaluation of biological responses to polymeric biomaterials by RT-PCR analysis IV: study of c-myc, c-fos and p53 mRNA expression

In order to investigate how cells recognize biomaterials, mRNA that was exp ressed in attached human fibroblasts on various substrates was evaluated. T he expressed oncogenes (c-fos and c-myc) and tumor suppressor gene (p53) mR NA were then isolated and detected using the RT-PCR method. As a result, c- fos and c-myc mRNA expression varied with respect to differences in the hyd rophilicity-hydrophobicity of the substrates. Both c-fos and c-myc mRNA exp ression were low in the fibroblasts that had adhered to hydrophilic surface s. The tendency of c-fos mRNA expression was similar to the adhesion curve of the cells, c-myc mRNA was largely induced in fibroblasts that had adhere d to hydrophobic surfaces. p53 mRNA were largely induced in fibroblasts tha t had adhered to hydrophilic surfaces, while in the cells that had adhered to hydrophobic surfaces, p53 mRNA expression was low. We concluded that the expression of oncogenes and p53 mRNA is a powerful method for studying cel l-polymer interactions or the evaluation of the carcinogenic activity of bi omaterials. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.