title: Prenatal developmental safety of functional polyurethanes for cardiovascular implants.
abstract: Historically, polyurethanes have been regarded as promising materials for cardiovascular implants such as vascular grafts and heart valves. Their biocompatibility has been thoroughly investigated. However, their developmental toxicity is seldom reported. We recently developed two polycarbonate urethanes with polyethylene glycol side chains capped with epoxy or amino groups that can further react with specific biomolecules. Both materials in microfibrillar morphology were subjected to saline extraction at 70 °C to prompt material hydrolysis. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and gel permeation chromatography all confirmed the degradation of the polyurethanes. The saline extracts containing the degradation products were administered to Sprague-Dawley female rats on day 7 to 16 of gestation via tail vein injection at a dose of 5 mL/kg/day. No maternal toxicity was observed. No external, skeletal, and visceral malformations in fetuses were found associated with the test materials, implying their safety to both adult rats and the offspring. Further investigations for applications in vascular grafts are under way.
authors.affiliation: College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yongjiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xingyi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, The Research Center of Saint-François d'Assise Hospital, CHU, Quebec City, Quebec, G1L, 3L5, Canada.
authors.forename: Ze
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, The Research Center of Saint-François d'Assise Hospital, CHU, Quebec City, Quebec, G1L, 3L5, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guidoin
authors.affiliation: College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yinping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610065, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Changsheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D020007:Implants, Experimental; D008422:Materials Testing / Q000379:methods*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D011140:Polyurethanes; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D011140:Polyurethanes; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C000595209:polyethylene glycol 1000
keywords: degradation; developmental toxicity; polycarbonate urethanes; polyethylene glycols; teratogenicity