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

Di You, Kai Li, Wenlai Guo, Guoqing Zhao, Chuan Fu
2019 International Journal of Nanomedicine  
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. We evaluated the surface morphology of the composites, as well as their physical properties, cytotoxicity, and antibacterial activity, along with the combined effects of
more » ... omposites and electrical stimulation (ES) in a rat model of wound healing. 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. 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.
doi:10.2147/ijn.s216365 pmid:31564864 pmcid:PMC6722438 fatcat:suwvh3yyljdwndd74srmvegkka