Delivery of dexamethasone from electrospun PCL–PEO binary fibers and their effects on inflammation regulation

Abstract

Electrospinning of immiscible polymer blends of PCL and PEO has rendered the solid, straight and hydrophobic PCL fibers into porous, hydrophilic microfibers. In this study, electrospun PCL, 11.4%PEO-88.6%PCL and 23.1%PEO-76.9%PCL fibers were loaded with dexamethasone (DEX) without changing the morphology. Their anti-inflammatory properties on Raw 264.7 cells were compared in vitro. All fibers were found biocompatible and the encapsulation of DEX could alleviate LPS induced inflammation response. Differences in surface topography, chemical composition, wettability and release kinetics among the different fibers collectively affected the regulation on inflammatory related gene expressions.

Chitosan Imparts Better Biological Properties for Poly(ε-caprolactone) Electrospun Membranes than Dexamethasone

“…Dexamethasone is a well-known drug due to its capacity to stimulate proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells, 30 and because of its anti-inflammatory properties. 7 Dexamethasone has been used to treat cancer, 42 skin diseases, 43 acute bacterial meningitis, 44 and other diseases. Also, dexamethasone can be used for local anesthetic pain relief therapy; 45 however, skin atrophy is accelerated by topical dexamethasone treatments, which is widely used in dermatology.…”

“…2 However, it is a challenge to yield suitable poly(ε-caprolactone)-based biomaterials for tissue engineering purposes because poly(ε-caprolactone) has high hydrophobicity and low water adsorption. 3 Therefore, poly(ε-caprolactone) should be blended to polysaccharides (chitosan, 2 cellulose acetate, 4 and starch 5 ) or associated to materials with biological properties such as dexamethasone (notable for its anti-inflammatory properties) 6,7 to produce electrospun membranes for applications in tissue engineering field. These materials can enhance the cytocompatibility, promoting better anchorage of cells onto poly(ε-caprolactone)-based membrane surfaces.…”

Modulating Immunological Responses of Electrospun Fibers for Tissue Engineering

“…Bioactive strategies involve the delivery of anti‐inflammatory and/or pro‐wound healing molecules. The delivery of soluble pharmacological anti‐inflammatory agents such as dexamethasone (dex), metronidazole or neuregulin‐1 from electrospun fibers was shown to lead to reduced inflammation and foreign body response. Dex loaded PLLA fibers induced the formation of a much thinner inflammatory capsule compared to PLLA fibers after 2 and 4 weeks post implantation .…”

“…In line with this, the release of dex from electrospun polyethylene oxide (PEO)/ poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) fibers led to reduced acute inflammatory response, in correlation with the expression of inflammation related genes ( Figure 3 ). Metronidazole‐loaded PCL nanofibers evoked a less severe inflammatory response than pure PCL nanofibers, as indicated by thinner fibrous capsule formation around the scaffold 7 weeks post implantation . In addition, release of the growth factor, neuregulin‐1 (Nrg) from electrospun poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) (PLGA)‐based fibers led to an increase in the M2:M1 macrophage following 1 month implantation in vivo, suggesting that the initial immune reaction to the scaffold evolved into a more constructive response over time …”

“…Differences between groups were assessed by Mann–Whitney test p < 0.05: a) versus positive control of inflammation (TCP + LPS); b) versus negative control of inflammation (TCP); c) versus each control fiber. Reproduced with permission . Copyright 2015, Royal Society of Chemistry.…”