Effect of stromal cell derived factor-1α release from heparin-coated Co-Cr stent substrate on the recruitment of endothelial progenitor cells

• Published in: Macromolecular research Vol. 23; no. 12; pp. 1159 - 1167
• Main Authors: Kang, Sung Nam, Park, Chungwon, Kim, Seong Min, Park, Ki Wan, Park, Bang Ju, Han, Dong Keun, Joung, Yoon Ki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Seoul The Polymer Society of Korea 01.12.2015; 한국고분자학회
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Complex Fluids and Microfluidics; Nanochemistry; Nanotechnology; Physical Chemistry; Polymer Sciences; Soft and Granular Matter; 고분자공학; stent; heparin; endothelial progenitor cell; stromal cell-derived factor-1; recruitment; dopamine
• ISSN: 1598-5032; 2092-7673
• DOI: 10.1007/s13233-015-4002-z

The restoration of a damaged endothelium might be a fascinating way to reduce significantly late-thrombosis and restenosis in the stent treatment. It has been recently reported that the recruitment of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), capable for repairing a damaged endothelium, can be important in the vascular stent application. Therefore, we focused on the hypothesis that stromal cell-derived factor-1 α (SDF-1 α ) acts as a key chemokine for the mobilization and recruitment of EPCs to the damaged endothelium lesion. In this study, the effect of SDF-1 α released from a cobalt-chromium alloy (Co-Cr) plate, vascular stent material, was investigated on the recruitment of EPCs in vitro . Dopamine-conjugated heparin was synthesized to introduce heparin onto Co-Cr. Heparin-coated Co-Cr surfaces were examined by water contact angle and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATRFTIR) to prove successful coating of heparin. Finally, SDF-1 α was bound to the coated heparin derivative. Amounts of loaded and released SDF-1 α were measured by ELISA, and the recruited EPC by released SDF-1 α was evaluated using two different migration assays. The quantity of SDF-1 α bound to the heparin-modified surface increased in a concentration-dependent manner and SDF-1 α was released over 28 days. Transwell migration assay revealed that soluble SDF-1 α released from the heparin-coated Co-Cr induced significantly more EPC recruitment than bare Co-Cr and heparin-coated Co-Cr. More importantly, fibrin gel migration assay further demonstrated that EPCs evidently respond to heparin-based substrate with SDF-1 α and this type of behaviors was surprisingly found at as low level as less 1 ng/day of SDF-1 α . These results are strongly encouraging for further in vitro and in vivo studies.