Fabrication and Study of Dextran/Sulfonated Polysulfone Blend Membranes for Low-Density Lipoprotein Adsorption

Abstract

The abnormal increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in human blood is a main independent risk factor for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, whereas a reduced LDL level effectively lowers morbidity. It is important to develop LDL adsorption materials with high efficiency and selectivity, as well as to simplify their fabrication processes. In this paper, polysulfone (PSF), sulfonated polysulfone (SPSF), and sulfonated polysulfone/dextran (SPSF/GLU) membranes were successfully fabricated for LDL adsorption using a solution casting technique. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements confirmed the success of the preparation. The water contact angle decreased from 89.7 ± 3.4° (PSF) to 76.4 ± 3.2° (SPSF) and to 71.2 ± 1.9° (SPSF/GLU), respectively. BSA adsorption testing showed that the SPSF/GLU with surface enrichment of sulfonate groups and glycosyl groups possessed higher resistance to protein solution. The adsorption and desorption behaviors of the studied samples in single-protein or binary-protein solutions were systematically investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), The results showed that SPSF/GLU, which had excellent resistance to protein adsorption, possessed a similar adsorption capacity to that of PSF. SPSF membrane exhibited excellent selective affinity for LDL in single and binary protein solutions, suggesting potential applications in LDL removal.

Facile Preparation of β-Cyclodextrin-Modified Polysulfone Membrane for Low-Density Lipoprotein Adsorption via Dopamine Self-Assembly and Schiff Base Reaction

“…As depicted in Figure 3 , it is evident that the membrane’s hydrophilicity undergoes alterations during each modification step. The WCA of the blank polysulfone membrane approached nearly 90°, consistent with findings reported in other studies [ 47 , 50 ]. After modification with dopamine, the WCA of PSF-PDA decreased to 42.1 ± 3.4° as a result of the introduction of multiple hydrophilic groups (such as amino groups or hydroxyl groups) from PDA.…”

“…In this study, Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) served as a nonspecific protein to scrutinize the adsorption and antifouling characteristics of the modified membranes, as depicted in Figure 5 . The quantity of BSA adsorbed onto the membrane was determined using a standard curve ( Figure S1 ), as described in our previous work [ 50 ]. Remarkably, the hydrophobic PSF membrane exhibited the highest BSA adsorption when the BSA concentration was maintained at 1 mg/mL.…”