Comparison of the effects of Mg–6Zn and Ti–3Al–2.5V alloys on TGF-β/TNF-α/VEGF/b-FGF in the healing of the intestinal tract in vivo

To evaluate the different effects of Mg–6Zn alloy and Ti–3Al–2.5V alloy implants in intestinal tract healing, we compared these two different alloys with respect to their effect on a rat's intestinal tract, using serum magnesium, radiology, pathology and immunohistochemistry in vivo. It was found using the scanning electron microscope that the Mg–6Zn alloy began to degrade during the first week and that the Ti–3Al–2.5V alloy was non-degradable throughout the process. The Mg–6Zn alloy did not have an impact on serum magnesium. Superior to the Ti–3Al–2.5V alloy, the Mg–6Zn alloy enhanced the expression of transforming growth factor-β1 in healing tissue, and promoted the expression of both the vascular endothelial growth factor and the basic fibroblast growth factor, which helped angiogenesis and healing. The Mg–6Zn alloy reduced the expression of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) at different stages and decreased inflammatory response, which may have been related to the zinc inhibiting TNF-α. In general, the Mg–6Zn alloy performed better than Ti–3Al–2.5V at promoting healing and reducing inflammation. The Mg–6Zn alloy may be a promising candidate for use in the pins of circular staplers for gastrointestinal reconstruction in medicine.