Preparation and characterization of biodegradable anti-adhesive membrane for peritoneal wound healing

Postoperative adhesions remain a significant complication of abdominal surgery although the wide variety of physical barriers has been developed to reduce the incidence of adhesion. In this study, the bilayered composite membrane formed by the association of a methoxy poly (ethylene glycol)-poly (L-lactide-co-glycolide) (mPEG-PLGA) film and a crosslinked collagen-hyaluronic acid (Col-HA) membrane with fibronectin (FN) coating was prepared for promoting wound healing and providing tissue adhesion resistance simultaneously. In vitro adhesion test revealed that fibroblasts attached better on Col-HA membrane compared to those on mPEG-PLGA film, PLGA film or Interceed^TM (oxidized cellulose) while mPEG-PLGA film had the lowest cell adhesive property. In confocal microscopic observation, the actin filaments were significantly further polymerized when 50 or 100 μg/cm³ fibronectin was incorporated on the COL-HA membranes. After 7-day culture, fibroblasts penetrated throughout the Col-HA-FN network and the cell density increased whereas very few cells were found attached on the surface of the mPEG-PLGA film. In vivo evaluation test showed that the composite membrane could remain during the critical period of peritoneal healing and did not provoke any inflammation or adverse tissue reaction.