Gelatinized PLCL Electrospun Membrane for the Prevention of Postoperative Abdominal Adhesion Through Fibrinolysis Activation

Abstract Abdominal adhesion is a common complication after surgery, which causes pain to patient and increases the risks of reoperation. Electrospinning polyester membrane serving as a physical barrier is used for preventing abdominal adhesion; however, the efficacy is limited due to the lacking of bioactivity necessary for antiadhesion. Here, hydrophobic poly( l ‐lactide‐ co ‐caprolactone) (PLCL) electrospinning membranes are hydrophilized with photo‐crosslinked methacrylic anhydride gelatin (GelMA) hydrogel for postoperative abdominal adhesion prevention. The composite membranes show fibrous network architecture, good cytocompatibility, and hydrophilicity than commercial poly( d , l ‐lactide acid) (PDLLA) film. Importantly, the composite membrane provides superior antiadhesion effect over PLCL membrane alone or commercial PDLLA film, against abdominal wall–cecum adhesion models in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. The underlying mechanism is that PLCL/GelMA membrane successfully promotes the secretion of matrix metalloproteinases 9 (MMP‐9) that can reduce the collagen deposition in extracellular matrix (ECM). Furthermore, the composite membrane significantly upregulates the expression of tissue‐type plasminogen activator (t‐PA) and downregulates the production of plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1 (PAI‐1), leading to the activation of fibrinolytic system, which inhibits the formation of adhesive tissues. Collectively, gelatinized PLCL electrospun membrane is a promising bioactive barrier for preventing postsurgery abdominal adhesions.