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Foreign body response to subcutaneous implants in diabetic rats
Teresa Oviedo Socarrás1, Anilton C Vasconcelos2, Paula P Campos2
1Department of General Pathology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Department of Livestock Sciences, University of Córdoba, Montería, Córdoba, Colombia.
Plos One
|November 6, 2014
Summary
Diabetes impairs the foreign body reaction to subcutaneous implants, reducing tissue integration. Hyperglycemia downregulates key healing features, impacting biomaterial performance in diabetic individuals.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Immunology
- Diabetic Complications
Background:
- Biomedical device implantation is common in diabetic patients.
- The foreign body reaction to implants is poorly understood in diabetes.
- This reaction can impair implant function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how diabetes affects the tissue healing response around subcutaneous implants.
- To characterize the foreign body reaction in a diabetic rat model.
Main Methods:
- Subcutaneous implantation of polyether-polyurethane sponge discs in normoglycemic and diabetic rats.
- Assessment of fibrovascular tissue components (angiogenesis, inflammation, fibrogenesis, apoptosis) after 10 days.
- Quantification of hemoglobin, vascular endothelial growth factor, inflammatory markers, fibrogenic markers, and apoptosis.
Main Results:
- Diabetes did not alter intra-implant hemoglobin or vascular endothelial growth factor levels.
- Diabetic rats showed fewer vessels but increased inflammatory parameters (neutrophils, TNF-α, MCP-1, mast cells).
- Macrophage activation, fibrogenic markers, and capsule formation were reduced in diabetic rats, while apoptosis increased.
Conclusions:
- Hyperglycemia downregulates critical aspects of the foreign body reaction to subcutaneous implants.
- These findings are relevant for understanding biomaterial integration and performance in diabetic patients.
