HEPARIN AS AN ANTIBACTERIAL COATING ON BIODEGRADABLE URETERAL STENTS: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF BRAIDSTENT®-H

The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of heparin to inhibit the development of early bacteriuria as a coating for biodegradable ureteral stents. MATERIAL AND METHODS The BraidStent®-H biodegradable stent, whose heparin coating is incorporated by dip coating, was chosen for this study. Twenty-four swine were randomly divided into two groups: 12 animals underwent unilateral placement of the BraidStent®-H and 12 were fitted with a standard double-j stent (DJS). Bacteriuria is comparatively analyzed over time by consecutive urine sampling at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours. In addition, the concentration of heparin released in vitro in artificial urine at 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, 92 and 120 hours is determined via ELISA. RESULTS BraidStent®-H generates a significantly lower bacteriuria rate than a DJS at 6 and 12 hours. Heparin coating shows a significant delaying effect on the onset of bacteriuria, reaching 100% of the animals at 48 hours, compared to the DJS, which takes place at 6 hours. ELISA results reveal the presence of heparin in urine for a total of 72 hours. The coating does not affect the degradation of the device, which is completed at 6 weeks. CONCLUSIONS Heparin evidences an effective inhibition of early bacteriuria, showing its potential as an antibacterial coating for biodegradable ureteral stents. Future studies should focus on the development of long-term heparin coatings for biodegradable materials.