Desenvolvimento de membranas de poliuretano com rapamicina e seu potencial uso em regeneração vascular

Abstract

The use of biomaterials that can replace or restore damaged tissues in the human body is necessary to improve the quality and life expectancy of the population. In this sense, the present project aims the study and development of different membranes based on biostable polyurethane, the incorporation of rapamycin, an antithrombogenic drug that can help about the inhibition of blood vessel narrowing, and the evaluation to verify its potential application in vascular area. Therefore, the obtained membranes showed three different morphologies, a membrane with porous surface (average pore size 3,3 μm ± 0,8 μm) – named porous PU – other membrane with an irregular surface, but without porous – dense PU – and for the last, a membrane with internal interconnections – leached PU. There were realized for each membrane the tests of wettability and contact angle. The leached PU showed higher average of body fluid absorption and porous PU showed higher hydrophilicity, however after the addition of rapamycin, dense PU showed more hydrophilicity. About calcification test, both of three membranes showed minerals deposition, but this did not happen with dense PU after incorporation of drug. The thermal characterizations of the membranes were according with literature for polyurethanes, as the mechanical behavior. Lastly, the membranes did not showed in vitro cytotoxicity, which means that they could be used within our bodies. Thus, the obtained membranes showed their interesting and high potential for use and improvement