Cytocompatibility of preadipocytes in diacrylated polyethylene glycol crosslinked with various UV light photoinitiating systems

Photopolymerizations are used extensively in medicine to form polymeric scaffolds for cells. The present work investigates the cytocompatibility of preadipocytes using various UV photoinitiating systems. The UV photoinitiators include 2-hydroxy-1-[4-(hydroxyethoxy)phenyl]-2-methyl-1-propanone (Sartomere 2959), acetophenone (Aldrich), and 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone (Irgacure 184). Primary preadipocytes from Lewis rats were exposed to each photoinitiator at varying concentrations from 0.01% (w/w) to 0.1% (w/w). Results indicate that the preadipocytes were cytocompatible with S2959 and I184 for all concentrations tested. In contrast, acetophenone was shown to cause significant cell death for all concentrations tested. The previous experiment was followed by a viability and proliferation study of encapsulated preadipocytes in diacrylated polyethylene glycol (PEGDA) crosslinked with the photoinitiators. After photopolymerizing with 10 mW/cm² at 365 nm until completion, nearly all of the preadipocytes survived the process with I184 while very few survived with acetophenone.