International Journal of Nanomedicine (Aug 2019)

Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)/graphene oxide composites combined with electrical stimulation in wound healing: preparation and characterization

  • You D,
  • Li K,
  • Guo W,
  • Zhao G,
  • Fu C

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 14
pp. 7039 – 7052

Abstract

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Di You,1 Kai Li,1 Wenlai Guo,2 Guoqing Zhao,1 Chuan Fu11Department of Anesthesiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Hand and Foot Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130012, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Guoqing Zhao; Chuan FuDepartment of Anesthesiology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun 130033, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 1 350 088 6187; +86 1 575 430 6089Fax +86 04 318 499 5299Email [email protected]; [email protected]: In this study, we fabricated multifunctional, electrically conductive composites by incorporating graphene oxide (GO) into a poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) copolymer for wound repair. Furthermore, the resultant composites were coupled with electrical stimulation to further improve the therapeutic effect of wound repair.Methods: We evaluated the surface morphology of the composites, as well as their physical properties, cytotoxicity, and antibacterial activity, along with the combined effects of composites and electrical stimulation (ES) in a rat model of wound healing.Results: Application of the PLGA/GO composites to full-thickness wounds confirmed their advantageous biological properties, as evident from the observed improvements in wound-specific mechanical properties, biocompatibility, and antibacterial activity. Additionally, we found that the combination of composites and ES improved composite-mediated cell survival and accelerated wound healing in vivo by promoting neovascularization and the formation of type I collagen.Conclusion: These results demonstrated that combined treatment with the PLGA/GO composite and ES promoted vascularization and epidermal remodeling and accelerated wound healing in rats, thereby suggesting the efficacy of PLGA/GO+ES for broad applications associated with wound repair.Keywords: wound repair, graphene oxide, electrical stimulation, tissue engineering, PLGA

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