Abstract: Although substantial progress has been made in the design of biomaterial-based electrospun tissue-engineered scaffolds, thrombosis continues to limit the performance of small-diameter vascular grafts. In response to this challenge, increasing attention has been directed toward graft designs that incorporate antithrombotic functionality to enhance hemocompatibility. In the current study, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) based electrospun surfaces were developed to address thrombosis-related problems in vascular graft applications, and the incorporation of enoxaparin and fondaparinux was examined as an antithrombotic approach. In this context, PVA solutions were prepared at 6 wt%, and the effect of drug incorporation on surface characteristics was assessed by measuring fiber diameter, pore size, and overall porosity. The resulting electrospun structures displayed fiber diameters of 187-239 nm and porosity exceeding 86%, a range generally regarded as advantageous for cellular infiltration. On the other hand, the incorporation of enoxaparin resulted in pronounced changes in fiber diameter and porosity. In addition, water contact angle measurements demonstrated that both neat and drug-loaded PVA surfaces retained a hydrophilic character, supporting their suitability for cell adhesion. The presence of enoxaparin and fondaparinux on the fibrous surfaces was further confirmed by FTIR analysis, demonstrating the successful integration of the antithrombotic agents.Although substantial progress has been made in the design of biomaterial-based electrospun tissue-engineered scaffolds, thrombosis continues to limit the performance of small-diameter vascular grafts. In response to this challenge, increasing attention has been directed toward graft designs that incorporate antithrombotic functionality to enhance hemocompatibility. In the current study, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) based electrospun surfaces were developed to address thrombosis-related problems in vascular graft applications, and the incorporation of enoxaparin and fondaparinux was examined as an antithrombotic approach. In this context, PVA solutions were prepared at 6 wt%, and the effect of drug incorporation on surface characteristics was assessed by measuring fiber diameter, pore size, and overall porosity. The resulting electrospun structures displayed fiber diameters of 187-239 nm and porosity exceeding 86%, a range generally regarded as advantageous for cellular infiltration. On the other hand, the incorporation of enoxaparin resulted in pronounced changes in fiber diameter and porosity. In addition, water contact angle measurements demonstrated that both neat and drug-loaded PVA surfaces retained a hydrophilic character, supporting their suitability for cell adhesion. The presence of enoxaparin and fondaparinux on the fibrous surfaces was further confirmed by FTIR analysis, demonstrating the successful integration of the antithrombotic agents.

Keywords: biomaterials, PVA, tissue-engineering, vascular graft, antithrombotic drug, thrombosis, electrospinning

Pages: 92-98

WSEAS Transactions on