Objective To investigate the effects of combined platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and arterial supercharging technique on the survival rate and functional restoration of cross-body region skin flaps in rabbits. MethodsTwelve healthy 6-month-old New Zealand White rabbits were randomly assigned to 4 groups (n=3): sham group, PRP group, anastomosis group, and combined treatment group. An axial skin flap with an area of 12 cm×6 cm on the inner side of the hind limbs of all animals were prepared, with the saphenous artery as the main blood supply. Following the ligation of both the proximal and distal ends of the saphenous artery across all groups, the sham group received no further intervention, the PRP group was subjected to PRP injection, the anastomosis group underwent in situ end-to-end anastomosis of the distal saphenous artery, and the combined treatment group received both in situ distal saphenous artery anastomosis and PRP administration. Flap survival was evaluated and recorded on postoperative days 1, 3, and 7, with survival rates calculated accordingly. On day 7, flap tissue samples were harvested for HE staining to assess basal tissue morphology. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining was conducted to detect the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and CD31 in the flap tissues. Results At postoperative day 1, no significant difference in flap survival rates were observed among the 4 groups (P>0.05). At day 3, the PRP group showed no significant difference compared to the sham group (P>0.05); however, both the anastomosis and combined treatment groups exhibited significantly higher survival rates than the sham group (P<0.05), the combined treatment group further demonstrated superior survival rates compared to both the PRP and anastomosis groups (P<0.05). At day 7, the combined treatment group maintained significantly higher survival rates than all other groups (P<0.05), while both the PRP and anastomosis groups exceeded the sham group (P<0.05). HE staining at day 7 revealed persistent inflammatory cell infiltration, sheet-like erythrocyte deposition, and disordered collagen fibers in the sham group. The PRP group showed nascent microvessel formation and early collagen reorganization, whereas the anastomosis group displayed mature microvasculature with resolved interstitial edema. The combined treatment group exhibited differentiated microvessels with densely packed collagen bundles. Immunohistochemical analysis at day 7 demonstrated significantly larger relative area percentages of α-SMA, VEGF, and CD31 positive cells in the combined treatment group compared to all other groups (P<0.05). Both the PRP and anastomosis groups also showed significantly higher values than the sham group (P<0.05). Conclusion The combination of PRP and arterial supercharging techniques significantly enhances flap healing, potentially through mechanisms involving augmented angiogenesis and improved blood supply.
Drug administration via hollow microneedles (HMN) have the advantages of painlessness, avoidance of first-pass effect, capability of sustained infusion, and no need for professional personnel operation. In addition, HMN can also be applied in the fields of body fluid extraction and biosensors, showing broad application prospects. However, traditional manufacturing technologies cannot meet the demand for low-cost mass production of HMN, limiting its widespread application. This paper reviews the main manufacturing technologies used for HMN in recent years, which include photolithography and etching, laser etching, sputtering and electroplating, micro-molding, three-dimensional (3D) printing and drawing lithography. It further analyzes the characteristics and limitations of existing manufacturing technologies and points out that the combination of various manufacturing technologies can improve production efficiency to a certain extent. In addition, this paper looks forward to the future trends of HMN manufacturing technology and proposes possible directions for its development. In conclusion, it is expected that this review can provide new ideas and references for follow-up research.