Difference in solute diffusivity in crosslinked collagen gels prepared under various conditions

Collagen gel was prepared by an ordinary method as that used for preparing a cell-culture medium from an aqueous type-1 atelocollagen solution through crosslinking with glutaraldehyde (GA). Solute diffusivity in the gels prep ared in the different conditions was discussed, being related to their wate r content. The water content of the gel decreased with increasing GA concen tration at crosslinking but the solute diffusivity in the gel hardly change d. On the other hand, collagen concentration, at crosslinking of the collag en solution, dramatically affected the solute diffusivity of the obtained g el, although the water content of the gel was not changed and maintained at higher value around 0.9. The inconsistency suggested that the gel had a he terogeneous microstructure although the content of the gel was almost water . This result suggests that the process to prepare collagen medium for cell culture affects cell growth in the case that mass transfer is dominant. (C ) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.