No abstract

In this study, methacrylamide chitosan modified with perfluorocarbon chains (MACF) is used as the base material to construct hydrogel dressings for treating dermal wounds. MACF hydrogels saturated with oxygen (+ O2) are examined for their ability to deliver and sustain oxygen, degrade in a biological environment, and promote wound healing in an animal model. The emerging technique of metabolomics is used to understand how MACF + O2 hydrogel dressings improve wound healing. Results indicate that MACF treatment facilitates oxygen transport rate that is two orders of magnitude greater than base MAC hydrogels. MACF hydrogel dressings are next tested in an in vivo splinted rat excisional wound healing model. Histological analysis reveals that MACF + O2 dressings improve re-epithelialization (p < 0.0001) and synthesis of collagen over controls (p < 0.01). Analysis of endogenous metabolites in the wounds using global metabolomics demonstrates that MACF + O2 dressings promotes a regenerative metabolic process directed toward hydroxyproline and collagen synthesis, with confirmation of metabolite levels within this pathway. The results of this study confirm that increased oxygen delivery through the application of MACF + O2 hydrogels enhances wound healing and metabolomics analyses provides a powerful tool to assess wound healing physiology.