Isolation and culture of adult and fetal rabbit bladder smooth muscle cells and their interaction with biopolymers

Purpose: The aim of this study was to test the feasibility of isolation and culture of adult and fetal rabbit bladder smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and comparison of their interactions with different types of biodegradable biopolymers in cell culture

ABA type block copolymers of poly(monobutyl itaconate) and poly(monocyclohexyl itaconate) with poly(dimethylsiloxane): Synthesis and characterization

Monoesters of itaconic acid (monobutyl itaconate and monocyclohexyl itaconate) were synthesized and used as monomers. Poly(monobutyl itaconate) (PMBI) and poly(monocyclohexyl itaconate) (PMCHI) were prepared by free radical polymerization of these monomers using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as initiator. Subsequently, ABA type block copolymers where the A block is PMBI or PMCHI and the B block is poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) were synthesized by free radical polymerization using a macroinitiator (diperoxycarbamate) containing PDMS units. The structural formulae of the products were confirmed by spectral analysis. The molecular weights of the products are not high. Therefore the mechanical and physical properties are rather poor. However, porous structures of copolymers are observed by means of SEM