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Bioactive polymers : a comparative study on the antithrombotic properties of soluble polymers and surface grafted polymers Lai, Benjamin Fook Lun

Abstract

Use of synthetic materials in medical applications is one of the most common practices in modern medicine. Yet occurrence of surface-induced thrombus formation on these materials, especially those associated with cardiovascular applications, generates a need for surface modifications. Limiting thrombus formation on a biomaterial surface represents the ultimate success for blood contacting devices. One interesting approach is to enhance fibrinolysis before the blood clot becomes stabilized. Herein, two synthetic polymers, poly-N- [(2, 2-dimethyl-1, 2-dioxolane) methyl] acrylamide (PDMDOMA) and poly- (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAm), were tested for this particular antithrombotic property. Surface-grafted PNIPAm samples, brush-PNIPAm and star-PNIPAm, were also tested for the biological activity. We evaluated the influence of these synthetic polymers on blood hemostasis by studying the fibrin polymerization process, the three-dimensional clot structure, and the mechanical properties of blood clot such as its clot strength, clot elasticity and clot fibrinolysis. Both linear PDMDOMA and PNIPAm altered the normal fibrin polymerization by changing the rate of protofibril aggregation and resulting in a 5-fold increase in the overall turbidity. Fibrin clots formed in presence of these synthetic polymers exhibited thinner fibers with less branching and resulted in a more porous and heterogeneous clot structure in scanning electron micrographs. The structural changes in these clots led to significant difference to their mechanical properties. Lower clot strength and clot elasticity were recorded from the thromboelastography study. More interestingly, enhanced clot lysis was measured by thromboelastography when whole blood was clotted in presence of PDMDOMA or PNIPAm. Further evidence of the altered clot structure and clot cross-linking was obtained from the significant decrease in D-dimer levels measured from degraded plasma clot. Similar results were obtained when star-form of PNIPAm was used but not for brush-form PNIPAm. The antithrombotic activity of soluble PDMDOMA and PNIPAm could potentially lead to the development of novel antithrombotic agents that could enhance endogenous fibrinolytic activity by modulating the fibrin clot structure. In the exploratory analysis of surface grafted PNIPAm (brush-PINPAm), brush-PNIPAm showed that the biological activity of attached chains is quite different from soluble polymers and several parameters need to be optimized to generate an antithrombotic coating for biomaterials.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International