In vitro study of stimulation effect on endothelialization by a copper bearing cobalt alloy

Endothelialization is an important process after stenting in coronary artery. Recovery of the injured site timely can reduce the neointima formation and platelet absorbance, leading to a lower risk of in-stent restenosis. Copper is known to be critical in vascular construction. Thus a combination of copper with stent materials is a meaningful attempt. A copper bearing L605-Cu cobalt alloy was prepared and its effect on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was evaluated in vitro in this study. It was found that HUVECs attached and stretched better on the surface of L605-Cu compared with L605, and the apoptosis of cells was decreased simultaneously. The migration and tube formation of HUVECs were also enhanced by the extract of L605-Cu. Furthermore, L605-Cu increased the mRNA expression of VEGF in HUVECs significantly. However it had no effect on the secretion of NO or mRNA expression of eNOS. The result of blood clotting test indicated that L605-Cu had better blood compatibility. These results above have demonstrated that the L605-Cu alloy is promising to be a new stent material with function of accelerating endothelialization. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 561-569, 2018.