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PubMedDate not supplied

Synthesis, characterization, and relaxivity of two linear Gd(DTPA)-polymer conjugates.

Two linear polyamide conjugates of Gd(DTPA)2- were synthesized and characterized by high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). DTPA was copolymerized with two different diamines, 1,6-hexanediamine and trans-1,4-cyclohexanediamine, yielding the polymers DTPA-HMD and DTPA-CHD, with low polydispersity. Their molecular flexibility in solution was studied using 13C spin-lattice relaxation time measurements, indicating that the cyclohexanediamine linking moiety of the DTPA-HMD polymer is more rigid than that of DTPA-CHD. The influence of the flexibility of the linking functionalities on the relaxivity of the Gd3+-DTPA-polymer conjugates was studied by water nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD). The relaxivity of the Gd(DTPA-CHD) polymer was only slightly higher than that of the Gd(DTPA-HMD) polymer, and only two times higher than the usual values for small Gd-DTPA-like chelates. The low relaxivities obtained for both polymers, much lower than expected from the polymer apparent molecular weights, result from their substantial residual flexibility, and also from a too long, nonoptimal, value of the inner-sphere water exchange rate. These polymeric compounds are also cleared very quickly from the blood of rats, indicating that they are of limited value as blood pool contrast agents for MRA.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of structure of beta-cyclodextrin-containing polymers on gene delivery.

Linear cationic beta-cyclodextrin-based polymers (betaCDPs) are capable of forming polyplexes with nucleic acids and transfecting cultured cells. The betaCDPs are synthesized by the condensation of a diamino-cyclodextrin monomer A with a diimidate comonomer B. In this paper, the effects of polymer structure on polyplex formation, in vitro transfection efficiency and toxicity are elucidated. By comparison of the betaCDPs to polyamidines lacking cyclodextrins, the inclusion of a cyclodextrin moiety in the comonomer A units reduces the IC50s of the polymer by up to 3 orders of magnitude. The spacing between the cationic amidine groups is also important. Different polymers with 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 methylene units (betaCDP4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10) in the comonomer B molecule are synthesized. Transfection efficiency is dependent on comonomer B length with up to 20-fold difference between polymers. Optimum transfection is achieved with the betaCDP6 polymer. In vitro toxicity varied by 1 order of magnitude and the lowest toxicity is observed with betaCDP8. The LD40 of the betaCDP6 to mice is 200 mg/kg, making this polymer a promising agent for in vivo gene delivery applications.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Selective cell attachment to a biomimetic polymer surface through the recognition of cell-surface tags.

Reactive phosphorylcholine polymers, which can recognize biosynthetic cell-surface tags, were synthesized to control cell attachment. Human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60) with unnatural carbohydrates as cell-surface tags were harvested by treatment with N-levulinoylmannosamine (ManLev). The attachment of ManLev-treated HL-60 cells to 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymers with hydrazide groups was studied. HL-60 cells, which are nonadhesive, did not attach to any polymer surface without ManLev treatment. In contrast, ManLev-treated HL-60 cells attached to a poly[MPC-co-n-butyl methacrylate (BMA)-co-methacryloyl hydrazide (MH)] (PMBH) surface following 15 min of incubation. The cells that attached to the PMBH surface retained their native morphology and viability for 24 h of incubation. On the other hand, approximately half of the HL-60 cells that attached to the poly(BMA-co-MH) (PBH) surface died. These results suggest that MH units in the polymer act as anchors for cell attachment and MPC units help to preserve cell viability on a polymer surface. The coculture of ManLev-treated HL-60 and fluorescence-stained human uterine cervical cancer cells (HeLa) was carried out on polymer surfaces. ManLev-treated HL-60 cells specifically attached to the PMBH surface. In contrast, both HL-60 and HeLa cells were observed on the PBH surface. The control of cellular interactions with synthetic polymers may be useful for the future development of cell-integrated biosensors and biomedical devices.

Adsorption↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Interaction of polycationic polymers with supported lipid bilayers and cells: nanoscale hole formation and enhanced membrane permeability.

Interactions of polycationic polymers with supported 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) lipid bilayers and live cell membranes (KB and Rat2) have been investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM), cytosolic enzyme assays, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and a fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS). Polycationic polymers poly-L-lysine (PLL), polyethylenimine (PEI), and diethylaminoethyl-dextran (DEAE-DEX) and sphere-like poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are employed because of their importance for gene and drug delivery. AFM studies indicate that all the polycationic polymers cause the formation and/or expansion of preexisting defects in supported DMPC bilayers in the concentration range of 1-3 microg/mL. By way of contrast, hydroxyl-containing neutral linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) do not induce hole formation or expand the size of preexisting defects in the same concentration range. All polymers tested are not toxic to KB or Rat2 cells up to a 12 microg/mL concentration (XTT assay). In the concentration range of 6-12 microg/mL, however, significant amounts of the cytosolic enzymes lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and luciferase (LUC) are released. PEI, which possesses the greatest density of charged groups on its chain, shows the most dramatic increase in membrane permeability. In addition, treatment with polycationic polymers allows the small dye molecules propidium idodide (PI) and fluorescein (FITC) to diffuse in and out of the cells. CLSM images also show internalization of PLL labeled with FITC dye. In contrast, controls of membrane permeability using the neutral linear polymers PEG and PVA show dramatically less LDH and LUC leakage and no enhanced dye diffusion. Taken together, these data are consistent with the hypothesis that polycationic polymers induce the formation of transient, nanoscale holes in living cells and that these holes allow a greatly enhanced exchange of materials across the cell membrane.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Fibrinogen-conjugated albumin polymers and their interaction with platelets under flow conditions.

Albumin polymers, having an average diameter of 1020 +/- 250 nm, were prepared by the disulfide polymerization of recombinant human serum albumin (rHSA) by controlling of the pH and temperature. Fibrinogen could be conjugated on the surface of an albumin polymer using N-succinimidyl 3-(2-pyridyldithio)propionate (SPDP). Under flow conditions, the fibrinogen-conjugated albumin polymers (fibrinogen-albumin polymers) were irreversibly attached to the platelet-immobilized surface in the reconstituted blood at a low platelet concentration ([platelet] = 5.0 x 10(4)/microL, a 5-fold diluted platelet concentration), and the attachment was suppressed by the addition of anti-GPIIb/IIIa monoclonal antibodies. It was confirmed that fibrinogen-albumin polymers specifically interacted with GPIIb/IIIa expressed on the surface of the activated platelets. Although platelets with a low platelet concentration were hardly attached to the platelet-immobilized surface under the flow conditions, the addition of fibrinogen-albumin polymers enhanced the attachment of the remaining platelets to the surface, indicating that the fibrinogen-albumin polymers would help the hemostatic ability of platelets at the site of vascular injury of patients in thrombocytopenia.

Biocompatible Materials↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Vinyl polymers based on L-histidine residues. Part 1. The thermodynamics of poly(ampholyte)s in the free and in the cross-linked gel form.

Amphiphilic vinyl polymers (in the free and cross-linked forms), carrying carboxyl and imidazole groups, were prepared by a radical polymerization of the purposely synthesized N-acryloyl-L-histidine. The protonation thermodynamic studies (at 25 degrees C in 0.15 M NaCl) showed high polyelectrolyte character of the soluble polymer. Unlike the linear decreasing trend of the basicity constant, over the whole range of alpha (degree of protonation), the enthalpy changes for the protonation of the imidazole nitrogen in the polymer showed a decreasing pattern only at alpha > 0.5. This was ascribed to the formation of hydrogen bonds between protonated and free neighboring monomer units. Viscometric data revealed a minimum hydrodynamic volume of the polymer at its isoelectric point (pH 5), whereas at higher or lower pHs, the macromolecule expanded greatly as a consequence of the charged sites formation. This produced a preferential solvation of the protonated imidazole and carboxylate ions, the latter being surrounded by more water molecules in the hydration shell. The peculiar hydration behavior was confirmed in the cross-linked polymer. The hydrogel showed an equilibrium degree of swelling (EDS), strongly dependent on pH, in a similar manner as viscometric data of the soluble polymer. A linear relationship between the reduced viscosity and the EDS was found. The polymer was non toxic against the RAW264 cell line.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Polymer-dispersed bicontinuous cubic glycolipid nanoparticles.

We found that certain amphiphilic polymers such as PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer (PL) can directly disperse a cubic glycolipid, 1-O-phytanyl-beta-D-xyloside (beta-XP), into bicontinuous cubic nanoparticles in water medium. The use of synchrotron small-angle X-ray diffraction (SSAXD) permitted the identification of the exact structure of these dispersed particles in the colloidal state. Dynamic light scattering method was used to obtain particle size distributions. The dispersion quality and the dispersion time can be improved by co-dissolving the lipid and the polymer in a common solvent. The mean volume diameter of these dispersed colloidal particles depends on the mixing time and polymer concentration. About 5 wt % (0.18 mol %) of polymer to lipid weight was found to be sufficient to produce stable colloidal dispersions. At this polymer content and at 3 h of stirring time, the mean volume diameter of cubic colloidal particles was found to be 1.0 microm. Increase of dispersion time to 6 h reduced the colloidal particle size from 1.0 microm to 660 nm. At 3 h of mixing time, the increase of polymer content, from approximately 5 to approximately 10 wt %, reduced the particle mean diameter from 1.0 microm to 675 nm. Irrespective of these dispersion times and polymer contents, the dispersed colloidal particles exhibit predominately the Pn3m cubic phase structure, the same as that of a beta-XP-water binary mixture, although a weak coexistence of Im3m cubic phase is identified in these colloidal particles. This coexistence is found to have the characteristics of a Bonnet relation, which forms convincing evidence for the infinite periodic minimal surface descriptions (IPMS). Considering the biotechnological significance, the preparation of these colloidal dispersions was carried out in a phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) system. These cubic colloidal dispersions exhibited good stability and the cubic phase structure remained intact in the PBS system.

Biotechnology↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Using surrogate modeling in the prediction of fibrinogen adsorption onto polymer surfaces.

We present a Surrogate (semiempirical) Model for prediction of protein adsorption onto the surfaces of biodegradable polymers that have been designed for tissue engineering applications. The protein used in these studies, fibrinogen, is known to play a key role in blood clotting. Therefore, fibrinogen adsorption dictates the performance of implants exposed to blood. The Surrogate Model combines molecular modeling, machine learning and an Artificial Neural Network. This novel approach includes an accounting for experimental error using a Monte Carlo analysis. Briefly, measurements of human fibrinogen adsorption were obtained for 45 polymers. A total of 106 molecular descriptors were generated for each polymer. Of these, 102 descriptors were computed using the Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) software based upon the polymer chemical structures, two represented different monomer types, and two were measured experimentally. The Surrogate Model was developed in two stages. In the first stage, the three descriptors with the highest correlation to adsorption were determined by calculating the information gain of each descriptor. Here a Monte Carlo approach enabled a direct assessment of the effect of the experimental uncertainty on the results. The three highest-ranking descriptors, defined as those with the highest information gain for the sample set, were then selected as the input variables for the second stage, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to predict fibrinogen adsorption. The ANN was trained using one-half of the experimental data set (the training set) selected at random. The effect of experimental error on predictive capability was again explored using a Monte Carlo analysis. The accuracy of the ANN was assessed by comparison of the predicted values for fibrinogen adsorption with the experimental data for the remaining polymers (the validation set). The mean value of the Pearson correlation coefficient for the validation data sets was 0.54 +/- 0.12. The average root-mean-square (relative) error in prediction for the validation data sets is 38%. This is an order of magnitude less than the range of experimental values (i.e., 366%) and compares favorably with the average percent relative standard deviation of the experimental measurements (i.e., 17.9%). The effects of each of the user-defined parameters in the ANN were explored. None were observed to have a significant effect on the results. Thus, the Surrogate Model can be used to accurately and unambiguously identify polymers whose fibrinogen absorption is at the limits of the range (i.e., low or high) which is an essential requirement for assessing polymers for regenerative tissue applications.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2002

Stability of ingested methylcellulose in the rat determined by polymer molar mass measurements by light scattering.

Methylcellulose (MC) is ingested by humans in food and pharmaceutical formulations. The functional properties of MC like those of other linear polymers depend primarily on polymer length or molar mass for largely linear polymers. Although many studies in animals and humans have shown complete excretion of MC, in vitro human fecal fermentation studies indicate that MC can be degraded and presumably lose some of its functionality. In this study, MC polymer distribution in the feces from rats fed a diet containing 8% methylcellulose were compared to the fed MC. The water-soluble polymers in the feces were separated by a size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and the polymer distributions determined by multiple angle laser light scattering (MALLS). Detection of the fluorescent MC-calcofluor complex was used to confirm the identity of the eluting MC peak. All dietary MC was recovered in the feces. There is a small shift (P < 0.06) in the weight-averaged molecular weight of polymer distribution of MC extracted from the feces to 2.71 +/- 0.15 x 10(5) g/mol from 3.15 +/- 0.02 x 10(5) g/mol in the standard. There is also an increase in the polydispersity from 1.21 in the standard to 1.8 in the fecal extract. The distribution of the substituted methoxylated glucose monomers by gas chromatography also confirms the stability of MC fed to rats. The amount of actual hydrolysis is estimated to be about 0.1 glycosidic linkage/molecule. MC is not easily determined by standard dietary fiber methods, and SEC with MALLS and/or fluorescence may be a useful alternative.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Studies of photoinduced electron transfer and energy migration in a conjugated polymer system for fluorescence "turn-on" chemosensor applications.

A series of poly[p-(phenyleneethynylene)-alt-(thienyleneethynylene)] (PPETE) polymers with variable percent loadings of the N,N,N'-trimethylethylenediamino group on the polymer backbone were synthesized and fully characterized. Photophysical studies show that changes in the loading of the amino group receptor on the backbone do not affect the polymer electronic structure in either the ground or excited states. The fluorescence quantum yields were found to be directly related to the loading of the amino groups and can be modeled by a Stern-Volmer type relationship. Photophysical studies related the total quenching efficiency to the inherent rate of photoinduced electron transfer (PET), the lifetime of the exciton, the rate of excitation energy migration along the polymer backbone, and the total loading of the receptor on the polymer. The role of the loading dependence on the application of these polymers as fluorescence "turn-on" sensors for toxic metal cations in dilute solution was also studied. Results showed that the fluorescence enhancement upon binding various cations was maintained even when the amino receptor loading along the polymer backbone was reduced.

Alkynes↗

PubMed2004

Polymer size and concentration effects on the size of gold nanoparticles capped by polymeric thiols.

Gold nanoparticles stabilized by thiol-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ethers with molecular weights ranging from 350 to 2000 have been prepared at thiol-to-gold molar ratios ranging from 3:1 to 1:8. Particle size distributions have been constructed for these particles from transmission electron microscopy images of hundreds of particles for each variation in synthetic conditions. The mean diameters of these particles range from 1.5 to 3.2 nm, with a slight increase in particle size with decreasing thiol content; these particles are smaller than those prepared using alkanethiols at similar thiol-to-gold ratios. Particles prepared under thiol-poor conditions exhibit much greater polydispersity than those prepared under thiol-rich conditions and include numerically rare large-particle outliers that contain much of the gold in the sample. The mean diameters of the gold nanoparticles decrease slightly with increasing polymer weight, especially under thiol-rich conditions. A simple model is developed to predict the trends in nanoparticle diameter that would result were the polymer's steric bulk protecting the nanoparticles from additional growth the principal factor controlling nanoparticle size in this system. This model predicts a much stronger dependence on thiol concentration than has been experimentally observed and a dependence on polymer molecular weight opposite to that experimentally observed. This suggests that the polymers' steric bulk is not the principal reason that these polymers yield smaller nanoparticles than alkanethiols at similar thiol-to-gold ratios. It is instead proposed that polar polymers may yield small nanoparticles by accelerating particle nucleation via coordination between functional groups in the polymer and atomic gold.

Gold↗

PubMed2005

Immunosensing based on site-directed immobilization of antibody fragments and polymers that reduce nonspecific binding.

Antibody Fab'-fragments can be directly coupled onto gold, and the space between the fragments can be filled with protein repellent disulfide bearing polymers. Coupling of the antibody Fab'-fragments, and thus both the amount of nonspecific binding and antigen binding but also the ability to regenerate the layer, is dependent on the immobilization procedure. First, the immobilization has taken place by coupling the Fab'-fragments to the surface and thereafter attaching the polymer in the remaining space between the antibodies. Second, the Fab'-fragments have been added after the surface has been coated by polymer. Third, the Fab'-fragments and polymer have been added onto the surface from the same solution. Up to 80% of the antigen could be removed during regeneration, if proper concentrations of polymer and Fab'-fragments were immobilized onto the gold surface. Only about 60% of the antigen could be removed, when the fragments were coupled directly onto a clean Au surface before the polymer or if low concentrations of polymer were attached onto gold before the Fab'-fragments. The first immobilization method, however, showed the highest response to antigen.

Binding Sites, Antibody↗

PubMed2006

Control of specific attachment of proteins by adsorption of polymer layers.

This study concerns the design of protein-resistant polymer adsorbed layers for the control of surface binding of biospecific recognition entities. Polymer surface layers were prepared using the adsorption of poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), poly(l-lysine) (PL), and branched and linear polyethyleneimine (PEI) and further modified by the covalent attachment of biotin for specific avidin attachment. The adsorption of PAH, PL, and PEI on silicon substrates was studied as a function of pH and ionic strength using ellipsometry. Average dry layer thicknesses of approximately 10, approximately 5, approximately 9, and approximately 3 A (+/-1 A) were obtained when polymer adsorption occurred from solutions at pH 9.5 that contained 0.5 M NaCl for PAH, PL, branched PEI, and linear PEI, respectively. These polymers showed significant differences in their efficiency to suppress nonspecific avidin adsorption. At low ionic strength, avidin adsorption occurred on all polymer-coated surfaces at basic pH values, despite the same positive electrostatic charge for protein globules and the surface. Though the net electrostatic repulsion between avidin molecules and branched PEI was efficiently screened in a protein solution of pH 7 and 0.15 M NaCl, branched-PEI coatings of high molecular weight were unique in their ability to provide avidin-resistant surfaces as a result of steric hindrance from the branched architecture of adsorbed polymer chains. All polymers studied were effective in suppressing avidin adsorption at pH 3 as a result of protonation of the avidin surface functional groups at this pH. Branched-PEI-coated surfaces were also effective for the suppression of smaller positively charged proteins such as lysozyme and ribonuclease A at pH 7 and 0.15 M NaCl. They were also resistant to the adsorption of negatively charged proteins such as BSA and fibrinogen at pH 7 and 0.75 M NaCl. Furthermore, by using PEI-modified protein-repellent surfaces, selective binding of avidin was achieved to surface-bound silver nanoparticles, which should provide a promising application for the label-free detection of biological species using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS).

Adsorption↗

PubMed2007

Molecular engineering of dendritic polymers and their application as drug and gene delivery systems.

This review discusses the development of functional and multifunctional dendrimeric and hyperbranched polymers, collectively called dendritic polymers, with the objective of being applied as drug and gene delivery systems. In particular, using as starting materials known and well-characterized basic dendritic polymers, the review deals with the type of structural modifications to which these dendritic polymers were subjected for the development of drug carriers with low toxicity, high encapsulating capacity, a specificity for certain biological cells, and the ability to be transported through their membranes. Proceeding from functional to multifunctional dendritic polymers, one is able to prepare products that fulfill one or more of these requirements, which an effective drug carrier should exhibit. A common feature of the dendritic polymers is the exhibition of polyvalent interactions, while for multifunctional derivatives, a number of targeting ligands determine specificity, another type of group secures stability in biological milieu and prolonged circulation, while others facilitate their transport through cell membranes. Furthermore, dendritic polymers employed for gene delivery should be or become cationic in the biological environment for the formation of complexes with the negatively charged genetic material.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Modelling mucoadhesion by use of surface energy terms obtained from the Lewis acid-Lewis base approach. II. Studies on anionic, cationic, and unionisable polymers.

Surface energies of carbopol, chitosan, hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) and poly(HEMA) were assessed from contact angle and surface tension experiments. The surface energy was considered in terms of an apolar Lifshitz-van der Waals term and a polar acid-base term, which in turn is divided into electron donor and electron receptor (Lewis acid-Lewis base) contributions. Using these surface energy terms the interaction of dry and hydrated polymer with mucin in the presence of either artificial gastric or intestinal fluid, or saline was predicted. The predictions were related to measured forces of detachment. There was a significant difference between the surface energy on dry and hydrated HPC and also for carbopol; for the other polymers either the surface energy of the hydrated material was not detectable, or the effect of hydration was minimal. There were good correlations between mucoadhesive strength and the calculated free energies of interaction between mucin and polymer in the presence of each of the fluids, for each individual polymer. Thus, two trends were observed, one for unionisable and the other for ionisable polymers. It is argued that the increased mucoadhesion seen with ionisable polymers (compared with the predicted value based on results of unionisable polymers) is a direct result of the ionic interaction. No attempt has been made to correct for the ionisation effect, but the surface energy predictions provide insight into the mechanism of the mucoadhesion process. This approach is useful for understanding and predicting interactions between different materials and biological components.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗

PubMed1998

Spanning binding sites on allosteric proteins with polymer-linked ligand dimers.

One approach to drug design involves determination of the structure of binding sites on target proteins to provide templates for ligand construction. Alternatively, random combinations of chemical groups can be used to generate diverse molecules for screening in the search for effective compounds. Here we report a strategy for developing potent ligands for proteins with multiple binding sites, which combines elements of both approaches: 'polymer-linked ligand dimers', in which two ligands are joined by a polymer chain of variable length. We find that polymer-linked ligand dimers containing two cyclic GMP moieties are up to a thousand times more potent than cyclic GMP in activating cyclic-nucleotide-gated channels and cGMP-dependent protein kinase. Each target protein responds optimally to a polymer-linked ligand dimer with a different average polymer length, even though their cyclic-nucleotide-binding sites are conserved. The tuning of polymer-linked ligand dimers indicates that each protein has a unique spacing of binding sites and provides an estimate of the distance between these sites. As optimal ligands are selected empirically, the polymer-linked ligand dimer strategy enables potent and selective agents to be identified without requiring previous structural information about the target proteins.

Allosteric Site↗

PubMed2000

Flexural strength of rebased denture polymers.

The properties of denture base and reline resins may be affected by daily changes between room temperature and mouth temperature. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of thermocycling on the flexural strength of the relined denture base polymer with reline resin. Three denture base resins, three hard reline resins and their combinations were tested. Fourteen specimens, 65x10x2.5 mm, were fabricated for each material. Polymer combination specimens were made using 1.5 mm hard reline resin on 1.0 mm cured denture base resins. Half of the specimens were stored for 50+/-2 h in distilled water at 37 degrees C, while the other half were thermocycled for 20 000 cycles between 4 and 60 degrees C. Three point bending tests were conducted on a universal testing machine at a cross-head speed of 0.5 cm/s. The flexural strengths were measured and a statistical analysis was performed on the data using three-way ANOVA (P<0.05). The results showed that the flexural strength of relined denture base polymer was significantly higher than that of hard reline polymer. Thermocycling did not affect the flexural strength of the relined denture base polymers, whereas the denture base polymer and reline polymer alone showed a decrease in strength after thermocycling.

Acrylic Resins↗

PubMed2000

A model to quantify encrustation on ureteric stents, urethral catheters and polymers intended for urological use.

OBJECTIVE: To validate an encrustation model and to quantify encrustation on currently used urological devices and polymers intended for urological use. Materials and methods An encrustation model was validated: (i) to measure the amount of calcium leaching from the glass model and from the polymer used; (ii) to determine whether the use of a single-source or pooled urine produced similar results; (iii) to determine in vitro encrustation; and (iv) to compare the results of in vivo implantation of the same materials into the bladders of rodents with the in vitro results. A test polymer (a ureteric stent, a urethral catheter or a biomaterial) and a control silicone polymer were housed separately but received human urine from the same reservoir and under the same conditions (pH 6.0 and 37 degrees C) for 5 days. The amount of calcium encrustation on each polymer was measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Each experiment was repeated at least four times and the results expressed as an encrustation index, defined as the ratio of encrustation of the test and reference polymers. RESULTS: The amount of calcium leaching from the glass model and polymers tested was insignificant. The use of a single-source or pooled urine gave the same results in the encrustation model. The in vitro results correlated with in vivo implantation of disks into the bladders of rats. Among the commonly used ureteric stents tested, the Cook C-Flex ureteric stents encrusted least. Hydrogel-coated ureteric stents encrusted more than uncoated stents. The Bard polytetrafluoroethylene short-term urethral catheter encrusted more than the Bard hydrogel-coated long-term catheter. A plasma-activated surface modification of a synthetic biomaterial with hyaluronic acid encrusted less than silicone, a long-term biomaterial widely regarded as the 'gold standard'. CONCLUSION: This validated encrustation model is the first to quantify encrustation on currently available ureteric stents and urethral catheters. A novel coating for a biomaterial was identified using the encrustation model, and which encrusted less than silicone.

Animals↗