Mechanical properties of the pectin hydrogels and inflammation response to their subcutaneous implantation

Abstract

We studied the influence of the mechanical properties of pectin hydrogels on acute inflammation and tissue repair after subcutaneous implantation. We used hard and soft pectin hydrogels. The results of histology and the analysis of serum‐level cytokines demonstrated that the intensity of acute inflammation increased with increasing hardness of the pectin hydrogels. We also showed that the pectin hydrogels did not inhibit tissue repair. The results of the morphometric and texture analysis of the pectin hydrogels showed that the in vivo biodegradation kinetics of hard hydrogels were greater than those of soft pectin hydrogels. We also observed that on the surface of the hard and soft pectin hydrogels, a network of collagen fibers was formed. The surface of the pectin hydrogel was shown to prevent the adhesion of infiltrating inflammatory cells. The results of the in vitro experiments demonstrated that pectin hydrogels inhibited the functional activity of macrophages and minimally activated the complement system. Therefore, we showed that soft pectin hydrogels have low proinflammatory potential and can be used in surgery as a barrier material as prevention of adhesions in the abdominal cavity. The hard pectin hydrogel can be used in tissue engineering. The hard pectin hydrogels can be used in the reconstruction of skin because are overpopulated with collagen fibers and contribute to the formation of new connective tissue, their elasticity is comparable to the skin and can be adjusted. They are biodegradable, and no additional manipulation is required to remove them.

Hydrogels Based Drug Delivery Synthesis, Characterization and Administration

“…Bare polyethylene hydrogels have been proven to not exhibit cytotoxicity in murine models even after 60 days when injected subcutaneously [184]. Similar results regarding biocompatibility were obtained with ellagic acid hydrogels [185], nano-patterned poly-acrylamide hydrogels [186] chitosan and gelatin hydrogels [187,188], alginate [189] and pectin [190]. It is worth mentioning that the majority of the studies do report mild inflammatory responses.…”

In Vivo Biocompatibility of an Innovative Elastomer for Heart Assist Devices

“…This observation is the most important because liver damage usually results from the toxic components of polymeric, implanted biomaterial [ 19 ]. Markov et al [ 20 ] evaluated the biocompatibility of 1% and 4% hydrogel implanted into Wistar albino rats. Similar to our findings, the researchers reported no significant changes in the histological structure of the liver, kidney, spleen, or lung.…”

“…This observation is the most important because liver damage usually results from the toxic components of polymeric, implanted biomaterial [19]. Markov et al [20] evaluated the biocompatibility…”

Tissue Engineering for Mimics and Modulations of Immune Functions

“…subcutaneously implanted pectin hydrogels of diverse stiffnesses resulting from different pectin solution concentrations in rats and found that soft pectin hydrogels prepared from 1% pectin solution displayed a low proinflammatory response. [ 56 ] This might be due to a more compatible mechanical property with surrounding tissues and a reduced release of degradation products to surrounding tissues compared to pectin hydrogel made from 4% pectin solution. For PEG hydrogels, more robust neutrophil infiltration during 1–3 weeks postinjury, or chronic inflammation, was observed on stiffer hydrogels.…”