Acceleration of re-endothelialization and inhibition of neointimal formation using hybrid biodegradable nanofibrous rosuvastatin-loaded stents

Incomplete endothelialization and neointimal hyperplasia of injured arteries can cause acute and late stent thromboses. This work develops hybrid stent/biodegradable nanofibers for the local and sustained delivery of rosuvastatin to denuded artery walls. Biodegradable nanofibers were firstly prepared by dissolving poly(D,L)-lactide-co-glycolide and rosuvastatin in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol. The solution was then electrospun into nanofibrous tubes, which were mounted onto commercially available bare-metal stents. The in vitro release rates of the pharmaceuticals from the nanofibers were determined using an elution method and a high-performance liquid chromatography assay. The experimental results thus obtained suggest that the biodegradable nanofibers released high concentrations of rosuvastatin for four weeks. The effectiveness of the local delivery of rosuvastatin in reducing platelets was studied. The tissue inflammatory reaction caused by the hybrid stents that were used to treat diseased arteries was also documented. The proposed hybrid stent/biodegradable rosuvastatin-loaded nanofibers contributed substantially to the local and sustainable delivery of a high concentration of drugs to promote re-endothelialization, improve endothelial function, reduce inflammatory reaction, and inhibit neointimal formation of the injured artery. The results of this work provide insight into how patients with a high risk of stent restenosis should be treated for accelerating re-endothelialization and inhibiting neointimal hyperplasia.