A Novel Nanofiber Hydrogel Loaded with Platelet-Rich Plasma Promotes Wound Healing Through Enhancing the Survival of Fibroblasts

Abstract

Background: Hydrogels are ideal biological carriers in vivo and have been widely used in the treatment of wound healing through loading with or without bioactive substances. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is purified from autologous plasma and has known curative efficacy for wound healing. The combined efficacy of shorten poly-N-acetyl glucosamine (sNAG) hydrogels and PRP in the treatment of wound healing has not been previously assessed. Material/Methods: The cytotoxic and proliferative effects of PRP on fibroblasts were detected using Cell Counting Kit-8 assays and flow cytometry. The levels of cyclin D1 and cyclin D3 were assessed to evaluate cell proliferation. Protein expression was assessed by western blot analysis. Adenosine levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry and western blot analysis. Rat wound models were performed, and the effects of PRP, single hydrogels, and sNAG hydrogels loaded with PRP were respectively detected through the assessment of wound closure. Hematoxylin eosin staining was used to measure the depth and width of regenerative scars. Results: Our results demonstrated that PRP promotes fibroblast proliferation and inhibits apoptosis. PRP contains abundant levels of adenosine, which has a positive role on fibroblast function, whilst the inhibition of adenosine A2A receptors impairs the efficacy of PRP. sNAG hydrogels loaded with PRP showed curative efficacy during wound healing in mice. Mice treated with hydrogels loaded with PRP showed high levels of regeneration with scarless healing. Conclusions: Our results indicate that sNAG hydrogels loaded with PRP promote wound healing. The pro-proliferative, and anti-apoptotic effects of the fibroblasts are mediated by the activating A2A receptor in response to elevated adenosine levels.

Emerging Delivery Strategies of Platelet-Rich Plasma with Hydrogels for Wound Healing

“…Full-thickness excision skin wound/mice Encourage angiogenesis, fibroblast propagation in vitro and scar-free wound healing in vivo [67] Curcuma zedoaria polysaccharide Full-thickness for diabetic/ mice Promotion of wound contraction, enhanced angiogenesis, collagen synthesis, and deposition in treated wounds [68] Chitosan and silk fibroin Skin full-thickness for diabetic/mice Enhanced angiogenesis, nerve repair, and collagen synthesis and deposition [69] Oxidized dextran, hyaluronic acid, and antimicrobial peptide…”

“…Therefore, the release of anti-inflammatory drugs and growth factors must be guaranteed for a certain time, and compared with aerogels, hydrogels with water in network structures are favorable to wound healing. Zhang et al [67] assessed the combined efficacy of shortened poly-N-acetyl glucosamine (sNAG) hydrogels and PRP in the treatment of wound healing. The results indicated that sNAG hydrogels loaded with PRP showed curative efficacy during wound healing in mice.…”

Localized delivery of curcumin by thermosensitive hydrogels for promoting wound healing

“…Fibroblasts play a crucial role in the wound healing process, and using fibroblasts, we explored the cytotoxicity and cytocompatibility of hydrogels [23]. The MTT assay showed that with increasing coculture time, our prepared hydrogels were nontoxic to cells, and the drug-containing hydrogels showed a tendency to promote the viability of HSF cells.…”