Effect of "phase change" complex on postoperative adhesion prevention.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Surgical Innovation

Background:

• Postsurgical peritoneal adhesion is a significant clinical challenge.
• Existing anti-adhesion products lack easy application for physical barrier formation.
• Development of novel solutions is crucial for preventing adhesions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel "phase change" anti-adhesion barrier.
• To assess the efficacy of a cross-linked copolymer of O-carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) and CaCl2 with cyclosporin A (CsA) in reducing peritoneal adhesions.
• To determine the biosafety and physical properties of the developed material.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of the CMC-CaCl2-CsA compound (swelling, weight loss, release, coagulation, toxicity).
• Establishment of an intestinal adhesion model in 64 Sprague-Dawley rats.
• Administration of CMC, CMC-CaCl2, or CMC-CaCl2-CsA treatments.
• Postoperative assessment of adhesions at days 7 and 14 via scoring and histopathology (H&E, MMP-9, TIMP-1 staining).

Main Results:

• The phase-change material demonstrated effective blood clotting and was nontoxic.
• Degradation rate was tunable by adjusting pH.
• Significant reduction in adhesions observed in the CMC-CaCl2-CsA group compared to controls (P < 0.001).
• Increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 noted at 7 days post-surgery in the treatment group.

Conclusions:

• The "phase-change" adhesive material effectively inhibits abdominal adhesions post-surgery.
• The material offers convenient application for surgeons.
• This represents a promising tool for intestinal adhesion prevention.