FULL PAPER 1800485 (1 of 12) © 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim www.mbs-journal.de Validation of an MPC Polymer Coating to Attenuate Surface-Induced Crosstalk between the Complement and Coagulation Systems in Whole Blood in In Vitro and In Vivo Models Sana Asif, Kenta Asawa, Yuuki Inoue, Kazuhiko Ishihara, Björn Lindell, Robin Holmgren, Bo Nilsson, Anneli Rydén, Marianne Jensen-Waern, Yuji Teramura,* and Kristina N. Ekdahl S. Asif, B. Lindell, R. Holmgren, Prof. B. Nilsson, Dr. Y. Teramura, Prof. K. N. Ekdahl Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology Uppsala University Dag Hammarskjölds väg 20, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden E-mail: teramura@bioeng.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp K. Asawa, Dr. Y. Inoue, Prof. K. Ishihara, Dr. Y. Teramura Department of Bioengineering The University of Tokyo 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113–8656, Japan DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201800485 Hemocompatibility Artificial surfaces that come into contact with blood induce an immediate activation of the cascade systems of the blood, leading to a thrombotic and/ or inflammatory response that can eventually cause damage to the bioma- terial or the patient, or to both. Heparin coating has been used to improve hemocompatibility, and another approach is 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phos- phorylcholine (MPC)-based polymer coatings. Here, the aim is to evaluate the hemocompatibility of MPC polymer coating by studying the interactions with coagulation and complement systems using human blood in vitro model and pig in vivo model. The stability of the coatings is investigated in vitro and MPC polymer-coated catheters are tested in vivo by insertion into the external jugular vein of pigs to monitor the catheters’ antithrombotic properties. There is no significant activation of platelets or of the coagulation and complement systems in the MPC polymer-coated one, which was superior in hemocom- patibility to non-coated matrix surfaces. The protective effect of the MPC polymer coat does not decline after incubation in human plasma for up to 2 weeks. With MPC polymer-coated catheters, it is possible to easily draw blood from pig for 4 days in contrast to the case for non-coated catheters, in which substantial clotting is seen. B. Lindell Department of Surgical Sciences, Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery Uppsala University Dag Hammarskjölds väg 20, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden A. Rydén, Prof. M. Jensen-Waern Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Almas Allé 8, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden Prof. K. N. Ekdahl Linnaeus Center of Biomaterials Chemistry Linnaeus University SE-391 82 Kalmar, Sweden The ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under https://doi.org/10.1002/mabi.201800485. 1. Introduction The quality of life of patients with a variety of medical condi- tions has been improved as a result of the great progress made in extracorporeal circulation devices and artificial organs, including those used for hemodialysis, hemofiltration, extracor- poreal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), cardiopulmonary bypass, ventricular assistance devices, and plasmapheresis. These medical devices are made of artifi- cial materials such as synthetic polymers and metals, which frequently come into contact with blood and tissue fluids. The most commonly used raw materials for manufacturing these plastic devices are segmented poly(ether urethane), poly- tetrafuoroethylene, poly(vinyl chloride), polyethylene, polydimethylsiloxane, cel- lulose, polysulfone, and poly(ether ether ketone). [1] In addition, various metals such as titanium and its alloys have been used in metallic devices. [2] Since these materials have limited blood compatibility and biocompat- ibility, systemic use of anticoagulants is required to avoid clotting formation when the medical devices are implanted into patients or used ex vivo. [3] Once the material is exposed to human whole blood, plasma pro- tein adsorption immediately occurs, evoking a sequence of events that includes activation, adhesion, and aggregation of platelets; inflammatory reactions, including activation of Macromol. Biosci. 2019, 1800485