Photo-Cross-Linking of Type I Collagen Gels in the Presence of Smooth Muscle Cells:  Mechanical Properties, Cell Viability, and Function

The effectiveness of photomediated cross-linking of type I collagen gels in the presence of rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMC) as a method to enhance gel mechanical properties while retaining native collagen triple helical structure and maintaining high cell viability was investigated. Collagen...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biomacromolecules 2003-07, Vol.4 (4), p.890-895
Main Authors: Brinkman, William T, Nagapudi, Karthik, Thomas, Benjamin S, Chaikof, Elliot L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acrylamides - metabolism
Animals
Aorta - cytology
Applied sciences
Cell Survival - radiation effects
Circular Dichroism
Collagen Type I - chemistry
Collagen Type I - radiation effects
Cross-Linking Reagents
Exact sciences and technology
Gels - chemistry
Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - cytology
Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - metabolism
Muscle, Smooth, Vascular - radiation effects
Natural polymers
Photochemistry - methods
Physicochemistry of polymers
Protein Denaturation
Proteins
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Rheology
Temperature
Tissue Engineering - methods
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Summary:The effectiveness of photomediated cross-linking of type I collagen gels in the presence of rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMC) as a method to enhance gel mechanical properties while retaining native collagen triple helical structure and maintaining high cell viability was investigated. Collagen was chemically modified to incorporate an acrylate moiety. Collagen methacrylamide was cast into gels in the presence of a photoinitiator along with RASMC. The gels were cross-linked using visible light irradiation. Neither acrylate modification nor the cross-linking reaction altered collagen triple helical content. The cross-linking reaction, however, moved the denaturation temperature beyond the physiologic range. A twelve-fold increase in shear modulus was observed after cross-linking. Cell viability in the range of 70% (n = 4, p > 0.05) was observed in the photo-cross-linked gels. Moreover the cells were able to contract the cross-linked gel in a manner commensurate with that observed for natural type I collagen. Methacrylate-mediated photo-cross-linking is a facile route to improve mechanical properties of collagen gels in the presence of cells while maintaining high cell viability. This enhances the potential for type I collagen gels to be used as scaffolds for tissue engineering.
ISSN:1525-7797
1526-4602
DOI:10.1021/bm0257412