Interactions of Apolipoproteins AI, AII, B and HDL, LDL, VLDL with Polyurethane and Polyurethane-PEO Surfaces

The lipoproteins (HDL, LDL, VLDL) are important components of blood present in high concentration. Surprisingly, their role in blood-biomaterial interactions has been largely ignored. In previous work apolipoprotein AI (the main protein component of HDL) was identified as a major constituent of protein layers adsorbed from plasma to biomaterials having a wide range of surface properties, and quantitative data on the adsorption of apo AI to a biomedical grade polyurethane were reported. In the present communication quantitative data on the adsorption of apo AI, apo AII and apoB (the latter being a constituent of LDL and VLDL), as well as the lipoprotein particles themselves (HDL, LDL, VLDL), to a biomedical segmented polyurethane (PU) with and without an additive containing poly­(ethylene oxide) (material referred to as PEO) are reported. Using radiolabeled apo AI, apo AII, and apoB, adsorption levels on PU from buffer at a protein concentration of 50 μg/mL were found to be 0.34, 0.40, and 0.14 μg/cm² (12, 23, and 0.25 nmol/cm²) respectively. Adsorption to the PEO surface was <0.02 μg/cm² for all three apolipoproteins demonstrating the strong protein resistance of this material. In contrast to the apolipoproteins, significant amounts of the lipoproteins were found to adsorb to the PEO as well as to the PU surface. X-ray photoelectron spectra, following exposure of the surfaces to the lipoproteins, showed a strong phosphorus signal, confirming that adsorption had occurred. It therefore appears that a PEO-containing surface that is resistant to apolipoproteins may be less resistant to the corresponding lipoproteins.