Electrospun Nanofibrous Rhpdgf and Collagen Loaded Scaffolds to Promote the Healing of Diabetic Wounds

This work developed nanofibrous growth factor-loaded collagen/poly-D-L-lactide-glycolide (PLGA) scaffolds that enabled the sustained release of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor (rhPDGF) to treat wounds that are associated with diabetes. PLGA, rhPDGF, and collagen were firstly dissolved in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol, from which nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning. An elution method and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit were utilized to determine the in vivo and in vitro release rates of growth factors from the scaffolds. The nanofibrous scaffolds released high and effective concentrations of rhPDGF for more than three weeks. The nanofibrous rhPDGF-loaded collagen/PLGA scaffolds were more hydrophilic than collagen/PLGA or virgin PLGA scaffolds and were able to contain more water. Furthermore, the rhPDGF-loaded collagen/PLGA scaffolds considerably promoted the healing of diabetic wounds. The scaffolds caused more re-epithelialization and contained more collagen I in diabetic rats than in the control rats, as determined from the expressed matrix metalloproteinase 9 in the hair canals in developing hair follicles. The experimental results herein suggest that the nanofibrous rhPDGF-loaded collagen/PLGA scaffolds enhanced epithelialization in the treatment of diabetic wounds and were very effective accelerators of the healing of such wounds in the early stages of that healing.