Adhesion and proliferation of keratinocytes on ion beam modified polyethylene

Polyethylene (PE) foils were modified by irradiation with Ar+ and Xe+ ions to different fluences and different physico-chemical properties of the irra diated PE were studied in relation to adhesion and proliferation of keratin ocytes on the modified surface. Changes in the PE surface roughness were ex amined using the AFM technique, the production of conjugated double bonds a nd oxidized structures by UV-VIS and FTIR techniques respectively. The surf ace polarity was determined by measuring surface contact angle and two-poin t technique was used for the determination of PE sheet resistance. Adhesion and proliferation of keratinocytes was characterized using the MTT-test. T he ion irradiation leads to creation of conjugated double bonds which, toge ther with progressive carbonization, contribute to the observed decrease of sheet resistance. Oxidation of the irradiated PE surface layer during the ion implantation is observed. Besides oxidation, the PE surface polarity is affected by other factors. The observed increase of the PE surface roughne ss due to the ion irradiation is inversely proportional to the ion size. Th e adhesion and proliferation of keratinocytes on the ion irradiated PE is s ignificantly higher than on the pristine PE. Distribution of results in ker atinocyte cultivation and the number of cells is related to the ion fluence applied and to ion species as well. (C) 2000 Kluwer Academic Publishers.