Morphological and biochemical analysis of cells cultured on fibrous poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds with different degrees of fiber alignment produced by solution blow spinning.

Background: Bioresorbable materials are compounds that decompose in physiological mediums both in vitro and in vivo and are used as an alternative to temporary implants in injured tissues. The aim of this study was to analyze the morphology and cytochemistry of cells grown on fibrous poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds and to measure cell metabolism parameters by biochemical analysis of the conditioned culture medium from cells grown on the scaffolds.

Methods: Fibrous PCL scaffolds were used under the following conditions: unaligned fibers (NA), fibers aligned at 150 rpm (A150), and fibers aligned at 300 rpm (A300). Vero cells were cultured on these scaffolds for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h. Samples were analyzed by SEM, MicroCT, cytochemistry, and culture medium biochemistry.

Results: The results of the cytochemical analysis showed cells were confluent and well spread on the culture plate, while cells grown on the polymeric scaffold, exhibited an elongated morphology. In the biochemical analyses, no significant differences were observed in the expression of alkaline phosphatase or in the levels of cholesterol or total protein in the culture medium. The different materials do not seem to promote changes in the expression or metabolism of these molecules. Only glucose was markedly reduced in the culture medium of cells grown on either aligned or unaligned scaffolds for 48 h or 72 h. This finding indicates the intense energy requirements of cells grown on these scaffolds.

Conclusion: PCL fibers showed a great capacity to support cell growth. These data reinforce the interpretation that cells grow satisfactorily on PCL scaffolds.