PES hemodialysis membrane possessing the function of releasing negative ions
摘要
Hemodialysis is a critical method for treating end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, the polyethersulfone (PES) hemodialysis membranes have the disadvantages of membrane fouling and poor blood compatibility, which can easily lead to the reduction of hemodialysis efficiency and activation of the complement system, triggering an inflammatory response. Concurrently, long-term hemodialysis treatments may result in complications such as anemia, malnutrition, and other diseases. The negative ions released by the natural mineral tourmaline (TM) can eliminate free radicals in the body, exerting an antioxidant effect. This work first combined tourmaline with graphene oxide and then blended them with PES to prepare hemodialysis membrane. The results indicated that the blend membrane demonstrated favorable hydrophilicity and blood compatibility. Additionally, the blended membrane scavenged 53.37% of ABTS·+ free radicals and exhibited high sieving performance (with removal rates of 74.35% for urea and 42.77% for lysozyme and retention rate of 94.87% for bovine serum albumin). This work demonstrated that the addition of tourmaline to hemodialysis membranes can effectively improve their efficiency in removing uremic toxins, while the properties of tourmaline itself endow the membranes with antioxidant effects, reducing the inflammatory response of patients, and playing a synergistic role in the “treatment-regulation” process.