A dual lubricating and antibacterial hydrogel coating containing hyperbranched polylysine with excellent biocompatibility for surface modification of central venous catheters

Friction-induced tissue damage and bloodstream infections are key challenges during the applications of central venous catheters (CVCs). Although the current antifouling catheters have achieved good performance to reduce friction, their antibacterial functionality still lacks of practical strategies. The incorporation of traditional antibacterial agents suffers from the inefficiency and unsatisfied safety concern as well as a long-term instability. Herein, a biocompatible hydrogel coating was developed for simultaneous lubrication and antibacteria on polyurethane CVCs surface by taking the advantages of hyperbranched polylysine (HBPL) with broad-spectrum antibacterial and non-toxic properties. The hydrogel-coated catheter showed outstanding lubricating performance including a low coefficient of friction value of 0.020 and extraordinary lubricating stability in both mechanical and chemical tests in vitro , and comparable lubricating protection of endodermis with commercial products in porcine abdominal arterial vessels ex vivo and rat abdominal aorta insertion tests in vivo . Importantly, the hydrogel-coated catheter achieved over 99% elimination of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli ( E.coli ) in vitro , and reduced 82% of infected bacteria and 65% of the thickness of the fibrotic capsule in MRSA-infected subcutaneous implantation in vivo . The hydrogel-coated catheter also demonstrated outstanding biocompatibility and hemocompatibility. This novel lubricating and antibacterial hydrogel coating without safety concern provides an alternative strategy for CVCs surface modification and shows promise in future clinical applications.