Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 25, 2026
Design of a Biocompatible Drug-Eluting Tracheal Stent in Mice with Laryngotracheal Stenosis
Published on: January 21, 2020
Sirolimus-eluting Biodegradable Poly-l-Lactic Acid Stent to Suppress Granulation Tissue Formation in the Rat Urethra
Kun Yung Kim1, Jung-Hoon Park1, Do Hoon Kim1
1From the Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology (K.Y.K., J.H.P., J.T., M.T.K., S.G.K., H.Y.S.), Biomedical Engineering Research Center (J.H.P.), Department of Gastroenterology (Do Hoon Kim), and Department of Pathology (W.C.S.), Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul 138-736, Republic of Korea; and Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill (J.H.P., Dong-Hyun Kim).
Abstract:
Purpose To investigate the use of sirolimus-eluting biodegradable stents (SEBSs) to suppress granulation tissue formation after stent placement in a rat urethral model. Materials and Methods All experiments were approved by the animal research committee. A total of 36 male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into three equal groups after biodegradable stent placement. Group A received control biodegradable stents. Groups B and C received stents coated with 90 µg/cm2 and 450 µg/cm2 sirolimus, respectively. Six rats in each group were sacrificed after 4 weeks; the remaining rats were sacrificed after 12 weeks. The therapeutic effectiveness of SEBSs was assessed by comparing the results of retrograde urethrography and histologic examination. Analysis of variance with post hoc comparisons was used to evaluate statistical differences. Results SEBS placement was technically successful in all rats. Urethrographic and histologic examinations revealed significantly less granulation tissue formation at both time points in the rats receiving SEBSs (groups B and C) compared with those that received control stents (group A) (P < .05 for all). There were no significant differences in urethrographic and histologic findings between groups B and C (P > .05 for all). However, the mean number of epithelial layers in group B was higher than that in group C at 4 weeks after stent placement (P < .001). Apoptosis increased in group C compared with groups A and B (P < .05 for all). Conclusion The use of SEBSs suppressed granulation tissue formation secondary to stent placement in a rat urethral model; local therapy with SEBSs may be used to decrease stent-related granulation tissue formation. © RSNA, 2017.
