In Vitro and In Vivo Comparison Study of Electrospun PLA and PLA/PVA/SA Fiber Membranes for Wound Healing

Wound dressings can accelerate wound healing. The degradable polymer poly(lactic acid) (PLA) shows good mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Sodium alginate (SA) holds good biocompatibility, hemostasis, and high hygroscopicity. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) has good spinnability as a pharmaceutical excipient. Herein, we carried out a comparison study of electrospun PLA and PLA/PVA/SA fiber membranes for wound healing in vitro and in vivo. In this study, PLA and PLA/PVA/SA nanofiber membranes were fabricated through electrospinning to produce a highly porous and large specific surface area that could promote wound healing. In vitro experiments showed that PLA and PLA/PVA/SA nanofiber membranes could all provide good support for the growth of rat fibroblasts (L929). Moreover, rat fibroblasts displayed slightly better adhesion and proliferation on PLA/PVA/SA than on the PLA fiber membranes. The in vivo potentiality of the PLA and PLA/PVA/SA fiber membranes was assessed in rat models of skin defects in which the PLA and PLA/PVA/SA fiber membranes significantly improved wound healing compared to commercially available gauzes. No significant differences in wound healing were observed between PLA and PLA/PVA/SA fiber membranes in our study. Furthermore, Masson staining and PCR displayed the PLA fiber membrane promoted protein deposition compared to the PLA/PVA/SA fiber membrane. In addition, IHC suggested that PLA/PVA/SA dressing reduced the inflammatory response during early wound healing compared to the PLA fiber membrane. These findings highlight the utility of fiber membranes as novel wound-healing dressings.