Pre-Wetting Reduces Blood Component Deposition on Polyvinyl Alcohol-Coated Poly-ε-Caprolactone Nanofiber Grafts

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Vascular Surgery
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Hydrophilic surface modification improves vascular graft hemocompatibility.
• Polyvinyl alcohol-coated poly-ε-caprolactone (PVA-PCL) nanofiber grafts offer enhanced hydrophilicity and mechanical properties.
• The in vivo efficacy of PVA-PCL grafts and the impact of pre-implantation surface hydration remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the in vivo performance of PVA-PCL grafts versus uncoated PCL grafts.
• To investigate the effect of pre-implantation surface hydration (pre-wetting) on the anti-fouling properties of PVA-PCL grafts.
• To assess whether enhanced in vitro anti-fouling translates to improved in vivo graft function.

Main Methods:

• Rat abdominal aorta implantation model comparing PVA-PCL and PCL grafts.
• In vitro whole-blood flushing assays to evaluate blood component deposition.
• Assessment of graft patency and tissue regeneration in vivo.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant difference in patency rates between PVA-PCL and PCL grafts in the rat model.
• In vitro assays showed pre-wetting significantly reduced blood component deposition on PVA-PCL grafts.
• Pre-wetting did not lead to detectable improvements in in vivo graft patency or tissue regeneration.

Conclusions:

• Pre-wetting effectively enhances the in vitro anti-fouling behavior of hydrophilic PVA-PCL vascular grafts.
• Pre-wetting may be a simple strategy to optimize the surface state of hydrophilic coatings.
• Further research is needed to determine if in vitro anti-fouling improvements can be translated into enhanced in vivo graft performance.