Growth of human endothelial cells on plasma-treated polyethyleneterephthalate surfaces

Different methods have been proposed to reduce the surface thrombogenicity of small caliber vascular grafts, using plasma treatments of polymer surfac es in order to improve the adhesion and the proliferation of human endothel ial cells (HEC). Plasma modified polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) substrates were employed to grow HEC, isolated from the umbilical vein. A combination of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Sessile contact angle (SCA) measurements allowed the study of the surface modifications produced soon a fter nitrogen and hydrogen plasma treatments with respect to an untreated P ET substrate, used as reference. It was possible to select a number of PET substrates while actually performing the HEC seeding experiments. The HEC p roliferation was evaluated by light microscope image analyzes. (C) 2000 Klu wer Academic Publishers.