Fabrication and evaluation of the mechanical behavior of electrospun matrices for the regeneration of urethra segments

BUSATTO, C.; F. BALLARIN; A. CANDIA; R. ARMENTANO; ESTENOZ, D.; GUSTAVO ABRAHAM

Congreso; XX Brazilian Materials Research Society Meeting; 2022

Hypospadias and urethral stricture are the most common urethral abnormalities [1]. The standard clinical treatment involves the transplantation of non-urological native tissues (gastrointestinal segments, oral mucosa, penis skin flap, and others) [2]. However, there is a limitation in the availability of autologous tissues and the risk of various complications. In this work, the fabrication of biomimetic urethral scaffolds based on poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and hyaluronic acid (AH) has been explored for urethral reconstruction. The combination of natural and synthetic polymers allows combining the highly favorable biological characteristics of natural polymers (hydrophilicity, biocompatibility and bioactive properties) and the mechanical behavior of synthetic polymers. The tubular scaffolds consisted of PCL nanofibers, co-electrospun fibers of PCL and AH, and PCL scaffolds infiltrated with AH. The materials were characterized by SEM and FT-IR, and the mechanical properties were evaluated using a continuous circulation biodynamic simulator (Bose® Corporation ElectroForce Systems Group). The urethral grafts were subjected to sinusoidal variations of internal pressure, consistent with normal physiological bladder pressure ranges and evaluating their compliance and mechanical response in vitro.