Comparative studies of thermogels in preventing post-operative adhesions and corresponding mechanisms

• DOI: 10.1039/c4bm00029c
• Publication Date: 2014-03-28T21:35:49Z
• Authors: Lin Yu; Hongtao Hu; Lin Chen; Xiaogang Bao; Yuzhuo Li; Liang Chen; Guohua Xu; Xiaojian Ye; Jiandong Ding
• Keywords: Abrasion (mechanical)

Post-surgical peritoneal adhesions constitute a classic problem in surgery, and thus anti-adhesion materials are much required. In this study, series of polyester-PEG-polyester triblock copolymers with different biodegradable polyester compositions were synthesized, their properties examined, the vivo efficacies as biomaterials evaluated comparative way for first time. These samples not only exhibited various morphologies bulk state, but also possessed stabilities sol state. All polymer aqueous solutions appropriate concentrations underwent sol-gel transitions increase temperature formed semi-solid hydrogels at body temperature. The efficacy PEG/polyester thermogels (25 wt%) preventing post-operative abdominal was investigated compared rabbit model sidewall defect-bowel abrasion. Different observed, possible mechanisms discussed, importance viscoelasticity suggested results illustrated that including viscoelastic matrix, hydrophilic surface moderate persistence played crucial roles enabling an effective device to prevent post-surgical adhesions.