Cytotoxicity testing of a new caprolactone-coated self-expanding bioabsorbable self-reinforced poly-L-lactic acid urethral stent

Forty to 75% of strictures recur within 2 years of urethrotomy and the esse ntial problem remains how to prevent the edges of the cut stricture from ad hering to each other and the scar from shrinking. To solve this problem dif ferent kinds of urethral stents have been used. Recently a new bioabsorbabl e self-expanding urethral stent was developed by our group. The core consis ts of self-reinforced (SR) poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and the coating is mad e of an amorphous copolymer of caprolactone and D,L-lactic acid [P(epsilon- CL/D,L-LA)]. The aim of our present study was to test the cytotoxicity of t he new material used to coat the SR-PLLA urethral stent utilizing the thymi dine incorporation method (DNA synthesis inhibition test). The new material s showed no acute toxicity and can be regarded as biocompatible in medical devices.