In Vivo Testing of Sericin-Polyurethane Nanofiber Mats for Wound Healing in Rats
The objective of this study was to investigate sericin-polyurethane nanofiber cover (SUC) for wound dressing materials in a rat skin. Sericin-polyurethane blended nanofibers were fabricated by using electrospinning. The composition of 3%w/v polyurethane in ethanol and 19% w/v sericin were blended and electrospun at 15 kV, 20 cm from tip to collector with a feed rate of 6.2 ml/hr. The mats, approximately 1.5 mm thick, were sterile by gamma irradiation with a radiation dose of 15 kGy. The samples of in vitro and in vivo testing were separated into three groups; gauze, polyurethane nanofiber cover (UC), and SUC. In vitro cultured L929 cell lines were investigated with inverted microscope. It was found that cells migrated to SCU. For in vivo tests, the remaining wound in rats was measured on day 2-14 after excision. Compared to original size of wound samples, the size of the wound remained 24% for SUC, 33% for gauze, and 34% for UC at day 8. The sericin, an active agent, contained in SUC mats was about 5 µl at 1.5 ×1.5 cm. It can be concluded that sericin is non-toxic to cells and can promote wound healing process in rats.