Human umbilical vein endothelial cell culture on heparin‐like microcarriers

Abstract

Biospecific functional polymers, i. e., polymers randomly substituted with specific chemical functional groups, were designed to interact with living systems. Interactions between polystyrene sodium sulfonate (PSSO₃Na) and insulin secreting RINm5F cells have been previously described. For the sake of comparison, interactions of PSSO₃Na with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were studied. In this case, the interaction is indirect, i.e., mediated by a binding protein, fibronectin (Fn). This was evidenced by HUVEC culture on Fn precoated PSSO₃Na microcarriers. The interactions between PSSO₃Na and HUVEC result in a biologically normal proliferation of cells and synthesis and secretion of Von Willebrand Factor (VWF). These results show that different biospecific interactions may occur between cells in culture, binding proteins and polymers randomly substituted with suitable functional groups. HUVEC, when cultured on heparin-like microcarriers, behave differently from other cells like RINm5F, whose interaction with the same polymers is not mediated by binding proteins. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.