A Technology for Anti-Thrombogenic Drug Coating of Small-Diameter Biodegradable Vascular Prostheses

The aim of the study was to develop a technology for anti-thrombogenic drug coating of biodegradable porous scaffolds and to evaluate the physicomechanical and hemocompatible properties of functionally active vascular prostheses with and without a drug coating.

Vascular prostheses from polyhydroxybutyrate/valerate and polycaprolactone with the incorporated vascular endothelial growth factor, the main fibroblast growth factor, and the chemoattractant SDF-1α were made by emulsion electrospinning. Additional surface modification of the prostheses was carried out by forming a hydrogel coating of polyvinylpyrrolidone capable of binding drugs as a result of complexation. Unfractionated heparin and iloprost were used as anti-thrombogenic drugs.

We show that after the modification of vascular prostheses with heparin and iloprost, a 5.8-fold increase in the Young's modulus value was noted, which indicated a greater stiffness of these grafts compared to the unmodified controls. Platelet aggregation on the surface of heparin + iloprost coated vascular prostheses was 3.3 times less than that with the unmodified controls, and 1.8 times less compared to intact platelet-rich plasma. The surface of vascular prostheses with heparin and iloprost was resistant to adhesion of platelets and blood proteins.

Drug (unfractionated heparin and iloprost) coating of the surface of biodegradable prostheses significantly improved the anti-thrombogenic properties of these grafts but contributed to the increased stiffness of the prostheses.