Morphological regulation and aggregate formation of rabbit chondrocytes on dendrimer-immobilized surfaces with D-glucose display.

The present study describes dendrimer-immobilized surfaces with D-glucose display, used to regulate the morphology of rabbit chondrocytes by changing the generation number and density of the dendrimer, and to clarify the relation between cell morphology and chondrogenic expression on the prepared surfaces. When the generation number increased, the frequency of round-shaped cells increased, whereas, cell stretching was appreciably suppressed. Further suppression of stretching was significant on the G4-LD surface, on which the density of the immobilized dendrimer was lowered, and this phenomenon was thought to be responsible for the sparse display of D-glucose on the surface.

Morphological regulation of rabbit chondrocytes on glucose-displayed surface.

A culture surface was designed to regulate morphology of rabbit chondrocytes by changing the ratio of D- and L-glucose isomers displayed on a glass plate. With increasing ratio of d-glucose displayed on the surfaces, the efficiency of cell attachment improved, meaning that the attachment exclusively occurred via mediation of an affinity between D-glucose displayed and glucose transporter on cell membrane. At 0% and 100% D-glucose display, the round-shaped cells appeared dominantly, and most of cells became stretched in shape at 50% d-glucose display, indicating that the frequency of round-shaped cells depicted a concave profile against the ratio of D-glucose displayed.