Polyethyleneglycol-based networks were employed as substrates to graft bioactive peptides to study macrophage interactions with materials. Our overall objective was to utilize biologically active factors to stimulate certain macrophage function on materials suitable for implantation in connective tissues. In this study, we sought to explore the bioactivity of several peptides derived from extracellular matrix adhesion proteins and macrophage-active proteins that are normally soluble. The candidate peptides examined corresponded to residues 63 to 77 of complement component C3a (C3a(63-77)), residues 178 to 207 of interleukin-1 beta (IL1beta(178-207)), residues 1615 to 1624 of fibronectin (FN(1615-1624)), endothelial-macrophage activating polypeptide II, complement component C5a inhibitory sequence, macrophage inhibitory peptide, and YRGDG; materials lacking peptides were used as negative controls. An established murine cell-line IC-21 was employed as a macrophage model, and human dermal fibroblasts were used for comparison. Our results showed that the substrates without grafted peptides were free from artifactual cell adhesion associated with the adsorption of serum or cellularly secreted proteins for long duration of culture. Of all grafted samples, IL1beta(178-207)- and C3a(63-77)-grafted surfaces supported higher adherent macrophage densities. C3a(63-77)- and FN(1615-1624)-grafted surfaces supported higher adherent fibroblast densities. From competitive inhibition studies, cell adhesion was determined to occur in a receptor-peptide specific manner. The presence of grafted YRGDG in addition to IL1beta(178-207), C3a(63-77), or FN(1615-1624) synergistically increased macrophage and fibroblast adhesion. Materials grafted with IL1beta(178-207) or C3a(63-77) co-grafted with or without YRGDG did not support the formation of multinucleated giant cells from the fusion of adherent macrophages in vitro. Copyright 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc., [on SciFinder (R)]