An Experimental Model: Modifications of the Chemical Silicone Medical Characteristics for an Improved Biocompatibility
- 1Plastic and Aesthetic Center, Dalian University Affiliated Xinhua Hospital, No. 156, Wansui Street, Shahekou District, Dalian, 116022 Liaoning China
- 2School of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian University, No. 10, Xuefu Street, Jinzhou District, Dalian, 116622 Liaoning China
- 3College of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Dalian University, No. 10, Xuefu Street, Jinzhou District, Dalian, 116622 Liaoning China
Abstract
Objective: Despite its good biocompatibility and processability, the severe surface hydrophobicity of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) limits its biomedical applications. This study aimed to enhance the surface properties of PDMS by depositing gelatin onto it via polydopamine (PDA) mediation and to evaluate the resulting cell–material interactions.
Methods and Results: The 1% gelatin-modified PDA-PDMS (G-PDA-PDMS) group showed the highest cell viability at 48 h. Surface hydrophilicity was significantly improved, with the contact angle reduced to 21.97° ± 2.06 (p <0.01). XPS confirmed successful modification, showing increased nitrogen signal and characteristic C=O/C-N peaks on G-PDA-PDMS. AFM revealed significantly higher surface roughness and altered nano-topography compared to PDMS (p <0.05). After interacting with cells, it was observed that the cell viability of G-PDA-PDMS was significantly higher than that of the other two groups (p <0.05). FITC/DAPI fluorescence staining showed that the number of cells in G-PDA-PDMS was higher than that in PDMS (p <0.05), and it exhibited a better cell spreading area (p <0.05). Calcein AM/PI fluorescence staining showed that the proportion of red fluorescence in PDA-PDMS and G-PDA-PDMS decreased significantly, while the green fluorescence increased significantly, indicating that they had a better cell survival rate compared with PDMS (p <0.05). The cell scratch test showed that the cell migration rate of G-PDA-PDMS was higher than that of PDA-PDMS (p <0.05). At the molecular level, G-PDA-PDMS significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of TGF-β1, COL3A1, COL1A1, and α-SMA (p <0.05), which was corroborated by increased TGF-β1 protein production (p <0.05).
Conclusion: Gelatin was successfully modified onto PDA-PDMS. The resulting G-PDA-PDMS material significantly improves surface hydrophilicity, enhances fibroblast proliferation and adhesion, and upregulates key extracellular matrix-related gene and protein expression, demonstrating excellent bioactivity and potential for biomedical applications.
No Level Assigned: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable
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BibTeX
@article{li2026experimental,
title = {{An Experimental Model: Modifications of the Chemical Silicone Medical Characteristics for an Improved Biocompatibility}},
author = {Tian-Xi Li and Ming-Fei Lang and Di-Ya Su and Chen Zhang and Shi-Hui Wang and Xiao-Ying Dong and Cheng Han and Jie-Qing Wang and Jing Sun},
journal = {Aesthetic Plastic Surgery},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1007/s00266-026-05970-5},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-026-05970-5},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - An Experimental Model: Modifications of the Chemical Silicone Medical Characteristics for an Improved Biocompatibility
AU - Tian-Xi Li
AU - Ming-Fei Lang
AU - Di-Ya Su
AU - Chen Zhang
AU - Shi-Hui Wang
AU - Xiao-Ying Dong
AU - Cheng Han
AU - Jie-Qing Wang
AU - Jing Sun
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/27
JO - Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
DO - 10.1007/s00266-026-05970-5
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-026-05970-5
AB - Objective: Despite its good biocompatibility and processability, the severe surface hydrophobicity of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) limits its biomedical applications. This study aimed to enhance the surface properties of PDMS by depositing gelatin onto it via polydopamine (PDA) mediation and to evaluate the resulting cell–material interactions. Methods and Results: The 1% gelatin-modified PDA-PDMS (G-PDA-PDMS) group showed the highest cell viability at 48 h. Surface hydrophilicity was significantly improved, with the contact angle reduced to 21.97° ± 2.06 (p <0.01). XPS confirmed successful modification, showing increased nitrogen signal and characteristic C=O/C-N peaks on G-PDA-PDMS. AFM revealed significantly higher surface roughness and altered nano-topography compared to PDMS (p <0.05). After interacting with cells, it was observed that the cell viability of G-PDA-PDMS was significantly higher than that of the other two groups (p <0.05). FITC/DAPI fluorescence staining showed that the number of cells in G-PDA-PDMS was higher than that in PDMS (p <0.05), and it exhibited a better cell spreading area (p <0.05). Calcein AM/PI fluorescence staining showed that the proportion of red fluorescence in PDA-PDMS and G-PDA-PDMS decreased significantly, while the green fluorescence increased significantly, indicating that they had a better cell survival rate compared with PDMS (p <0.05). The cell scratch test showed that the cell migration rate of G-PDA-PDMS was higher than that of PDA-PDMS (p <0.05). At the molecular level, G-PDA-PDMS significantly upregulated the mRNA expression of TGF-β1, COL3A1, COL1A1, and α-SMA (p <0.05), which was corroborated by increased TGF-β1 protein production (p <0.05). Conclusion: Gelatin was successfully modified onto PDA-PDMS. The resulting G-PDA-PDMS material significantly improves surface hydrophilicity, enhances fibroblast proliferation and adhesion, and upregulates key extracellular matrix-related gene and protein expression, demonstrating excellent bioactivity and potential for biomedical applications. No Level Assigned: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable
SN - 0364-216X
SN - 1432-5241
ER -