Biodegradable drug-eluting urethral stent in limiting urethral stricture formation after urethral injury: An experimental study in rabbit

Abstract

In this study, a reproducible urethral injury animal model was developed and the role of the biodegradable drug-eluting urethral stent in limiting urethral stricture formation after urethral injury was evaluated. A total of 22 rabbits were used, and 20 rabbits were randomly chosen to develop urethral injury animal model. Bulbar urethral injury was made by a self-designed explosion device in the 20 rabbits. The urethral injury animal model was then randomly assigned to 2 groups of 10 each, which received a treatment of biodegradable paclitaxel-eluting urethral stent or only end-to-end anastomosis. Other two rabbits served as normal control group. Stents were surgically implanted into the injured urethras of rabbits under direct vision. Reparative effects, including stent degradation, were evaluated by urethroscopy, retrograde urethrography, and histology at different intervals at weeks 4, 8, and 12. In stent-free group, 8 of 10 rabbits developed obvious urethral stricture which was demonstrated by urethroscopy and retrograde urethrography, while in biodegradable paclitaxel-eluting stent group, urethral stricture was absent in all animals (p < 0.05). Histological follow-up indicated that the drug-eluting stents can also minimize the inflammatory reactions and fibrosis formation compared with the stent-free groups. Scanning electron microscope demonstrated that the biodegradable drug-eluting stent can gradually degrade in 12 weeks. The biodegradable paclitaxel-eluting urethral stent is effective in limiting urethral stricture formation after urethral injury.

Fibrinogen/poly(l-lactide-co-caprolactone) copolymer scaffold: A potent adhesive material for urethral tissue regeneration in urethral injury treatment

“…It is known that urination requires a pristine urethral lumen supported with urethral transplants or grafts [ 33 , 23 ]. We assessed the urine flow rate and retrograde urethrography of each rabbit participant at predefined time intervals to examine the post-operative healing effectiveness of the prepared scaffolds [ 44 , 13 , 16 ]. By a month, all animals in the autograft and Fib-PLCL scaffold groups became capable to pass urine on their own and retained this competence throughout 4 months.…”

Advancements in transurethral management of urethral stricture disease

“…Paclitaxal has gained attention in the management of urethral stricture based on its application to endovascular devices for peripheral vascular disease. In a small animal model, a paclitaxel-coated biodegradable urethral stent has demonstrated inhibition of stricture formation when compared to unstented controls at 12 weeks [9]. Through inhibition of microtubule proliferation, paclitaxel-coated stents create an antifibrotic environment after deployment.…”