Heparin-coated Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Graphene Oxide Nanofibers Used for Vascular Tissue Engineering Application

Coating polymeric nanofibers with anti-coagulant agents is one of the most important methods to enhance the performance of these materials against blood interactions. In this work, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)/graphene oxide (GO) nanofibers coated with heparin (Hep) were fabricated and their physicochemical properties alongside hemocompatibility were investigated. To study the effect of GO on PET nanofibers, the electrical conductivity of 4.08x10(-8) S cm(-1) and elastic modulus of approximately 47 MPa for sample containing 3 wt.% of GO (PET/GO 3) were observed. After NH3 plasma, Hep was coated on the optimal PET/GO 3 nanofibrous sample and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as well as water contact angle results exhibited the appropriate Hep coating by dedicating characteristic peak of 1187 cm(-1) and 25 degrees, respectively. In addition, the scanning electron microscopic images of PET/GO 3 nanofibers showed Hep coating has no significant influence on the size of nanofibrous diameter. Prothrombin time and partial thromboplastin time were increased up to 106 s and 350 s; additionally, the number of platelets and hemolytic index were decreased in PET/GO 3 nanofibers in presence of Hep. Eventually, cultivation of mesenchymal stem cells revealed that the sample coated with Hep dedicated the highest cell proliferation with the most living cells. The overall outcomes conducted us the Hep-coated PET/GO 3 nanofibrous sample was a promising candidate for vascular tissue engineering.