Effect of crosslinked poly(1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone) gels on cell growth in static cell cultures

• Published in: Bio-medical materials and engineering Vol. 7; no. 1; p. 35
• Main Authors: Hong, Y, Chirila, T V, Fitton, J H, Ziegelaar, B W, Constable, I J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 1997
• Subjects: 3T3 Cells - drug effects; Absorption; Animals; Aqueous Humor; Artificial Organs; Cell Division - drug effects; Colorimetry; Culture Media, Serum-Free; Elasticity; Materials Testing; Methacrylates; Mice; Polyvinyls - chemistry; Polyvinyls - pharmacology; Pyrrolidinones - chemistry; Pyrrolidinones - pharmacology; Rhodamines; Viscosity
• ISSN: 0959-2989
• DOI: 10.3233/bme-1997-7103

Poly(1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone) (PVP) and copolymers of 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone are insoluble in water when crosslinked but they can absorb very large amounts of water to become syringe-injectable hydrogels. Such gels have been investigated recently as potential substitutes for the vitreous humour in the eye. In this study, during the cytotoxic evaluation by sulforhodamine B colorimetric assay of variously crosslinked PVP gels, it was found that many of them showed protective/growth promoting effects on 3T3 mouse fibroblasts in static cultures, a phenomenon encountered previously only with aqueous solutions of a limited number of natural or synthetic polymers. Particularly, the gels crosslinked with diethylene glycol dimethacrylate (DEGDMA) induced a significant enhancement of cell proliferation, especially in serum-free cultures. No correlation between this effect and the essential gel properties (chemical composition, viscoelasticity and equilibrium water content) could be established. The study demonstrated that crosslinked PVP hydrogels showed a serum-like growth promoting effect on an anchorage-dependent cell line, which may be due to physical protection, inability of the insoluble gels to penetrate cell membranes, and their ability to mimic the extracellular matrix.