The application of macroelectrophoresis in studying the cellular behaviors on biomaterials: The relationship between cell membrane potention and cellular behaviors

In this work, cell electrophoresis, measuring the electrophoretic mobility of cells, was used to investigate the variation of surface charge property of cells after cultured on different polymer membranes. HepG2 cell line and neural stem/progenitor cell were used as the model cells. The polymer biomaterials used in this study included polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). Taken together, the cell surface charge property can be altered after cells cultured on different polymer substrates. The precise mechanism by which the variation of electrophoretic mobility of cultured cells is different from cell types, but it is reasonable to assume that the intercellular metabolism and the absorption of serum proteins on cell membrane surface could influence membrane properties to change cell electrophoretic mobility and then, simultaneously, to regulate differentiation, adhesion, growth and function of cultured cells.