Cell growth on tissue-engineering scaffolds prepared by gamma irradiation grafting of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone onto polyvinyl alcohol

In the field of tissue engineering, promoting cell attachment and proliferation in polymer matrices is an attractive challenge for treating patients suffering from the loss or dysfunction of tissues or organs. In this study we have investigated the effect of grafting N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP) by gamma irradiation onto polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a highly hydrophilic and non-toxic material. PVA scaffolds were prepared by freeze-thaw and progen (glycerol) methods. In the first method, samples were freeze-thawed for three consecutive cycles at -25 degrees C (90 min) and room temperature (60 min); in the latter, 0-40% glycerol was used as progen. Gamma irradiation of the scaffolds in the presence of NVP was performed at different concentrations (2, 3, 4 and 6%) with 5, 10 and 15 kGy Co-60. The highest percentage of grafting was obtained at 4% NVP solution and 15 kGy. Cell attachment was optimal for the scaffolds prepared using freeze-thaw and glycerol methods with 3.8% and 2.7% polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), respectively.