Iloprost-Loaded Electrospun Polycaprolactone/Gelatin Membranes for Enhanced Healing of Colon Anastomosis

Despite the variety of proposed solutions, anastomotic leakage is still a critical complication after colorectal surgery, which causes increased clinical mortality and morbidity. By enhancing microcirculation in the colonic mucosa, the use of Iloprost (Ilo) has shown promising results for the healing of anastomosis. The purpose of this study is to examine the performance of Ilo-impregnated Polycaprolactone:Gelatin electrospun membranes (PCL/Gel/Ilo) on anastomosis repair and intra-abdominal adhesion behavior in the Rat colon. Wistar Albino rats were randomly divided into four groups: sham, Control (only resection-anastomosis), PCL/Gel, and PCL/Gel /Ilo (n = 12 for each). On the seventh day after colon anastomosis, a second laparotomy was conducted. During this procedure, intra-abdominal adhesion was examined, and the anastomotic segment was removed for burst pressure and histological evaluation. There was no statistically significant difference in intra-abdominal adhesions and major complications between the electrospun membrane groups and the control group. The membrane-applied groups exhibited significantly higher anastomotic burst pressure than the control group irrespective of their Ilo content. In terms of neovascularization and muscle necrosis, membrane-applied groups demonstrated statistically significant improvements over the control group. Furthermore, the PCL/Gel/Ilo applied group showed enhanced neovascularization and lower muscular necrosis; however, statistically significant differences were not observed compared to the PCL/Gel applied group. Compared to the control group, the application of electrospun PCL/Gel and PCL/Gel/Ilo membranes resulted in safe and effective healing of colon anastomosis. The fact that Ilo application cannot be distinguished from the regular membrane group necessitates additional research into the doped fibrous mat and its application method.