Specific adhesion of primary hepatocytes to a novel glucose-carrying polymer

A new amphiphilic glycopolymer, poly-[N-p-vinylbenzyl-D-glucuronamide] (PV6Gna), was synthesized and characterized. Glucose moieties in the polymer were confirmed to be exposed into outer surface of polystyrene (PS) by direct lectin-enzyme assay. Hepatocytes were specifically interacted with PV6Gna substituted at C-6 of glucose but not poly-[N-p-vinylbenzyl-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-[1-->4]-D-gluconamide] (PVMA) and poly-[3-O-p-vinylbenzyl-D-glucose (PVG) substituted at C-1 and C-3 of glucose, respectively, although the glycopolymers were interacted with Con A as lectin for alpha-D-glucose and alpha-D-mannose. The adhesion of hepatocytes was dependent on Ca2+ and independent on temperature for the PV6Gna surface unlike integrin-dependent adhesion. Morphologies of hepatocytes on the PV6Gna surface were significantly different from ones on collagen type I and affected by the coating concentration of PV6Gna onto PS dish and epidermal growth factor (EGF).