Controlled release Ibu-cryobarriers for the prevention of post-operative adhesions: In-vitro/in-vivo comparative study

[Display omitted] Post-operative adhesion is a common cause of several complications including intestinal obstruction, chronic pelvic pain and/or infertility. Adhesions are fibrous bands that result from the inflammatory reactions due to peritoneum damage. The current study focused on designing an effective anti-inflammatory loaded barrier for the prevention of post-operative adhesions. The proposed method is based on the use of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), cryobarrier loaded with Ibuprofen (Ibu). Anti-adhesive Ibu-cryobarriers were prepared in different forms, and subjected to in-vitro evaluation comprising; drug release rate, maximum swelling index, morphological examination using scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and mechanical properties. Optimized cryobarriers were further investigated for their in-vivo effectiveness in preventing post-operative adhesions in female Sprague-Dawley rats. All formulations showed appropriate physical and morphological characteristics, in-vitro controlled sustained drug release profiles during a period of seven days with acceptable maximum swelling index. Invivo, all cryobarriers were equivalent to each other concerning serum or tissue parameter. However, morphological and histopathological evaluations revealed that both xerocryogel and lyophilized cryofilms are more effective than the cryogel in prevention of post-operative peritoneal adhesions. The current study showed the possibility of preparing drug loaded cryobarriers using simple technique with an effective in vivo post-operative adhesion prevention.