Effect of Covalently Bound Heparin Coating on Patency and Biocompatibility of Long-term Indwelling Catheters in the Rat Jugular Vein

摘要

Manyphysiologicandpharmacologicstudiesrequirelong-termvascularaccessforrepeatedsubstanceinfusionand/orbloodsamplecollection.Thestudyreportedherewasundertakentodeterminewhetherafunctionallyactiveheparincoatingwouldimprovelong-termpatencyofvenouscathetersinrats.Uncoatedorcoatedcathetersweresurgicallyplacedinthejugularvein,andpatencywasevaluatedtwiceweeklyforatotalof30days.Culturingofbloodandcatheters,andhistologicexaminationwereperformedforallrats.Allheparin-coatedcathetersremainedpatentforthestudyduration,withpatencydefinedasabilitytoinfusesalineandwithdrawabloodsample.Medianpatencyforuncoatedcatheterswas17.5days,witharangeofthreeto30days.Histologicevaluationofvesselsrevealedmoreadvancedandseverelesionsinratswithuncoated,comparedwithcoatedcatheters.Furthermore,uncoatedcathetershadincreasedassociationwithbacteremia(3/8),comparedwithcoated(0/9)catheters.Takentogether,theseresultsindicatethatcoatingcatheterswithcovalentlyboundheparinmoleculescansignificantlyprolongpatencyandcauselesspathologicdamagetothecatheterizedvessel.