Preparation and investigation of a novel iodine-based visible polyvinyl alcohol embolization material

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) embolization particles, currently used in clinical practice, have good expansibility and are capable of permanent embolization. However, the lack of adhesion of embolization particles contributes to facilitated recanalization after embolization, while the lack of visualization facilitates misembolization. At present, embolization materials with good expansion, adhesion, and visualization potential are urgently required in clinical practice. Here, we report the development of PVA/gelatin/iohexol (I) fiber blocks as a novel embolization material for liver embolization in rats. In our work, electrospun PVA/gelatin/I nanofibrous mats were first prepared, homogenized, centrifuged in a gradient manner, and freeze-dried to obtain fiber blocks (fiber diameter ​= ​296.2 ​± ​74.23 ​nm, length 99.6 ​± ​17.0 ​μm ​× ​width 46.9 ​± ​13.3 ​μm). The fiber blocks exhibited excellent cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility. Fiber blocks with a PVA/gelatin/I mass ratio of 8:2:10 were selected due to their excellent expansibility and adhesive properties. The PVA/gelatin/I fiber blocks display excellent liver embolic effects and computed tomography (CT) imaging potential due to a combination of the following characteristics: expansibility of PVA and gelatin, adhesive property of gelatin, and CT imaging potential of I. The developed fiber block material is an embolic material that may potentially be used in interventional medicine.