Biological responses to polyethylene oxide modified polyethylene terephthalate surfaces

Polyethylene oxide (PEO) of molecular weights 5,000, 10,000, 18,500, and 100,000 g/mol was covalently grafted to surfaces of otherwise cell adhesive polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films. Analysis of these surfaces by measurement of contact angles and ESCA verified the presence of the grafted PEO. Protein adsorption assays of radiolabeled albumin and fibrinogen showed a marked reduction in adsorbed protein for the 18,500 and 100,000 molecular weight PEO coupled surfaces. Cell growth assays using human foreskin fibroblasts in culture showed that the higher‐molecular‐weight PEO surfaces supported cell growth to a much lower extent than the two lower‐molecular‐weight PEOs. Flow of whole blood over these surfaces and visualization of platelet adherence using epifluorescence videomicroscopy showed very low platelet adherence only on the two higher‐molecular‐weight PEO coupled surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy corroborated these results. It was concluded that PEO of molecular weights neighboring 18,500 and higher was effective in reducing protein adsorption and cellular interactions on these surfaces.