Home › Botany › The Polyvinyl Alcohol Sponge Model Implantation
Botany JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

The Polyvinyl Alcohol Sponge Model Implantation

DOI: 10.3791/3885-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Prepare polyvinyl alcohol sponges for implantation as drug/growth factor delivery platforms
  • ✓ Perform surgical implantation of PVA sponges in animal wound repair models
  • ✓ Retrieve and analyze implanted sponges for treatment efficacy assessment
Protocol

A useful tool to analyze the effects of drugs, growth factors, and/or manipulated cells in an animal model of wound repair is described. This technique utilizes the properties of a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) sponge to deliver and contain the desired treatment and also provide a platform to be excised and analyzed.

Difficulty
intermediate
Total time
~45 min per animal (surgery + recovery); 7-14 days for full wound response analysis
Model organism
Mouse or rat (unspecified strain)
Biosafety
BSL-1

Steps

1
Prepare polyvinyl alcohol sponges

Cut, sterilize, and prepare PVA sponges to appropriate dimensions and condition for implantation. Soak sponges in sterile saline or treatment solutions as required.

▶ 01:15
2
Perform surgical implantation of sponge

Create incisions and surgically implant the prepared PVA sponge into the animal's subcutaneous tissue or wound site using aseptic technique.

▶ 02:12
3
Inject treatment and remove sponge

Optionally inject drugs, growth factors, or manipulated cells directly into the implanted sponge at specified timepoints, then surgically excise the sponge for downstream analysis.

▶ 04:06
4
Analyze sponge tissue sections

Process excised sponges into histological sections and stain or image to evaluate cellular infiltration, tissue regeneration, and treatment response.

▶ 04:57
💬 Comments coming soon