Implications of the oxygenated electrospun poly(ɛ-caprolactone) nanofiber for the astrocytes activities

Astrocytes support structure of central nervous system (CNS) and provide nutrients to neurons. When CNS is injured, astrocytes are activated and produce glia scar. There are debates if the reactive astrocytes give beneficial or harmful effects on neuronal regeneration. In vitro tissue culture systems successfully have been used to investigate how the astrocytes activity is regulated in response to environmental conditions. Physicochemical characteristics of supporting materials for tissue culture are one of the most important environmental conditions. Electrospun nanofiber has physical uniqueness such as high surface area to volume ratio and high porosity, which is favorable to tissue culture. However, cellular activities can also be regulated in response to surface chemistry, which can be modified easily and diversely. Poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) is widely used for a scaffold for tissue culture. In this research, oxygen plasma-treated PCL nanofiber was assessed to ascertain whether it can have such potentials to regulate astrocytes activity. As a result, oxygen plasma treatment increased the hydrophilicity of the PCL nanofiber which made adhesion and viability of astrocytes enhanced without cytotoxicity Activation of astrocytes in the plasma treated scaffolds was confirmed by the fact of upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein. Above all, oxygenated nanofiber provides an initial culture environment which makes astrocytes activated. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 101B: 1267–1274, 2013.