Morphologies of PC12 Cells Cultured on Some Polymeric Films --Relationship between Cell Growth and Surface Physical Properties--

Mariko HARA, Tetsuo ASAKURA†, Chong-Su CHO††, Toshihiro AKAIKE††† and Akon HIGUCHI*

Department of Industrial Chemistry, Seikei University; 3-1, Kichijoji-kitamachi 3, Musashino-shi 180-8633 Japan
† Department of Biotechnology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology; 2-24-16,Nakamachi, Koganei-shi 184-8588 Japan
†† Division of Biomaterials Engineering, Seoul National University; 103, Seodoon-dong,Su Won-City, Kyong gi-do 441-744 Korea
††† Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology; 4259,Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama-shi 226-8501 Japan

The growth and spreading of PC12 pheochromocytoma cells, on various polymeric films prepared by Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) and casting methods were investigated. PC12 cells, which were cultivated on collagen and synthetic polymeric films prepared by the LB method, adhered and spread much more than those on the films prepared by the casting method. The relationship between the cell growth or spreading and physical properties (i.e., contact angle and surface roughness) of the polymeric films where the cells were cultivated was investigated. Exponential relationship was observed in the plots of the cell density versus root mean square of roughness of the films, which was estimated by atomic force microscopy. The cell growth and spreading ratio of PC12 cells were found to be higher on the LB films which adsorbed the serum proteins containing higher content of α-helix than those on the casting films. The contact angle of LB films was found to be different from that of cast films prepared from the same polymer used in the LB films. The maximum cell density and spreading ratio were observed on the films having a contact angle of around 55 degrees. It is suggested that the adsorbed serum proteins having high α-helix contents on the films control and stabilize the proliferation and spreading of PC12 cells cultivated on the films.


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