Diltiazem-loaded electrospun nanofibers as a new wound dressing: fabrication, characterization, and experimental wound healing

Abstract

Calcium channel blockers such as diltiazem have recently been investigated for their wound-healing potential. The aims of this study were to fabricate diltiazem-loaded nanofibers for a new wound dressing and investigate their beneficial properties for wound healing. Nanofibers were electrospun using polyvinyl alcohol solution containing 0, 2 or 4% diltiazem. Fibers were characterized in terms of physicochemical properties, drug release and fibroblast viability, and in animal wound healing assays. Compared to other formulations, nanofibers containing 4% diltiazem showed thin fiber size (152.7 nm), high porosity (88.4%), high swelling (110.4%), low water contact angle (29.1°) and little weight loss (17.3%). Drug release from 4%-diltiazem nanofibers showed good fit to a Korsmeyer–Peppas model, suggesting a non-Fickian release mechanism (R² = 96%, n = 0.52). In vitro, 4%-diltiazem mats were not cytotoxic and enhanced fibroblast proliferation by 263% after 5 days of treatment compared to control. In vivo, wounds treated with this mat for 14 days showed the smallest size (14.7%) and better histopathologic characteristics compared to other wounds. The 4%-diltiazem mat also demonstrated significant antioxidant activity by reducing tissue MDA and nitrite levels by 63 and 59% compared to normal saline. The findings support the eligibility of this novel wound dressing for additional clinical research.

Keywords:

• Diltiazem
• electrospun nanofiber
• wound healing
• mouse
• oxidative stress
• human fibroblast

Acknowledgments

The authors thank K. Shashok (AuthorAID in the Eastern Mediterranean) for improving the use of English in the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Bushehr University of Medical Sciences [grant number: 1348].