Biocompatibility and hemocompatibility of polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel used for vascular grafting- In vitro and in vivo studies

Abstract

Polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel (PVA) is a synthetic polymer with an increasing application in the biomedical field that can potentially be used for vascular grafting. However, the tissue and blood–material interactions of such gels and membranesare unknown in detail. The objectives of this study were to: (a) assess the biocompatibility and (b) hemocompatibility of PVA-based membranes in order to get some insight into its potential use as a vascular graft. PVA was evaluated isolated or in copolymerization with dextran (DX), a biopolymer with known effects in blood coagulation homeostasis.