A heparin modified polypropylene non‐woven fabric membrane adsorbent for selective removal of low density lipoprotein from plasma

In the present work, a new porous low density lipoprotein (LDL) adsorbent membrane is prepared by ⁶⁰Co γ‐ray irradiation‐induced grafting copolymerization of polypropylene (PP) non‐woven fabric with acrylic acid, followed by immobilizing heparin covalently. The amount of carboxyl group and heparin on the resultant PP non‐woven fabric is determined by titration and colorimetry, respectively. The new adsorbent membrane is characterized by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, and contact angle microscopy. Static adsorption and hemoperfusion tests indicate this new adsorbent can efficiently and selectively remove LDL from human plasma. Meanwhile, good adsorption of triglyceride (TG) is also obtained. The best result is achieved by the adsorbent membrane P_0.45‐A₁₅‐H, where 33.3 ± 2.9 µg of LDL‐C, 14.7 ± 1.9 µg of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), 64.9 ± 4.3 µg of total cholesterol (TC), and 202.4 ± 5.7 µg of TG are removed from human plasma per square centimeter. Hemocompability and toxicity tests show this new adsorbent membrane has good blood compatibility and low toxicity. Considering the adsorbent performance, safety, low cost, and simple preparation, this new adsorbent membrane has potential clinical application for removal of LDL. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.