Effect of replicated polymeric substrate with lotus surface structure on adipose-derived stem cell behaviors

We fabricated polystyrene substrates with lotus leaf surface structure (LLSS) and investigated cell behaviors, including attachment, morphology, proliferation, and differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) on them. Compared to the flat substrate, the LLSS substrate induced higher cell attachment rate, but did not significantly change the cell proliferation rate. In addition, ASCs on the LLSS substrate exhibited relatively narrower spreading morphology and less organized cytoskeleton, there by resulting in smaller sizes of cells than those on the flat substrate. According to histochemical staining and RT-PCR analysis, the LLSS substrate induced higher adipogenic differentiation of ASCs than the flat substrate, while chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation were decreased.