Bioactive porous beads as an injectable urethral bulking agent: In vivo animal study for the treatment of urinary incontinence

In our previous study, growth factor (basic fibroblast growth factor [bFGF] or vascular endothelial growth factor)-immobilized polycaprolactone (PCL)/Pluronic F127 porous beads were fabricated by an isolated particle-melting/melt-molding particulate-leaching method. The growth factors were easily immobilized onto the pore surfaces of the PCL/F127 beads via heparin binding, and were continuously released for up to 28 days. In this study, the growth factor-immobilized porous beads were investigated for their potential use as an injectable urethral bulking agent for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). From the in vivo study using Sprague-Dawley rats as an urinary incontinent animal model, it was observed that the growth factor (bFGF or vascular endothelial growth factor)-immobilized porous beads had effective cure behaviors for SUI as follows: the narrowed urethral lumen and the regeneration of smooth muscle around the urethra. In particular, the bFGF-immobilized PCL/F127 porous beads showed desirable smooth muscle regeneration and electrical contractility, which indicates it can be a good candidate as an injectable bioactive bulking agent for the treatment of SUI.