LAUSR

Adhesives/sealants are used after suturing to prevent leakage of cerebrospinal fluid from an anastomotic site. Commercial adhesives/sealants have been used to close the cerebral dura. However, swelling of the cured adhesives/sealants induces increased intracranial pressure and decreases the strength of the seal. In the present study, we developed tissue adhesive hydrogels with improved swelling property using inclusion complex composed of α-cyclodextrin (αCD) and decyl group (C10)-modified Alaska pollock-derived gelatin (C10-ApGltn) with a high degree of substitution (DS) (>20 mol%). Viscosity of C10-ApGltn with a high DS solution remarkably decreased by the addition of αCD. The resulting αCD/C10-ApGltn adhesive hydrogel composed of αCD/C10-ApGltn inclusion complexes and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based crosslinker showed improved swelling property after immersion in saline. Also, the resulting adhesive had a significantly higher burst strength than fibrin-based adhesives and was as strong as a PEG-based adhesive. Quantitative analysis of αCD revealed that the improved swelling property of the resulting adhesive hydrogels was induced by the release of αCD from cured adhesive, and the subsequent assembly of decyl groups in the saline. These results suggest that adhesives developed using the αCD/C10-ApGltn inclusion complex could be useful for closing the cerebral dura mater. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.