Biocompatibility, Alignment Degree and Mechanical Properties of an Electrospun Chitosan–P(LLA-CL) Fibrous Scaffold

Abstract

Chitosan–poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (P(LLA-CL)) complex fibers, fibrous mats and a tubular scaffold have been obtained through electrospinning. Due to their high porosity, there were more porcine iliac artery endothelial cells (PIECs) attached to fiber mats than to tissue-culture plate (TCP) and coverslips. The cells could grow and spread well on nanofiber mats. There were many of native extracellular matrix (ECM)-like colloids above and under the surface of fibrous mats after cell culturing. The two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (2-D FFT) approach was used to analysis alignment degree of fibers collected on a rotary mandrel. The relations among mechanical properties, alignment degree, fiber diameter and rotary speed are discussed. Aligned fibers with various alignment degrees could be found through adjusting rotary speed. Fiber alignment was the variable most closely associated with the regulation of stress and strain. In this study, we show a feasible approach for producing scaffold with controllable mechanical property for soft tissue engineering through electrospinning.

Keywords:

• ELECTROSPINNING
• CHITOSAN
• POLY(L-LACTIC ACID-CO-EPSI-CAPROLACTONE)
• MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
• TISSUE ENGINEERING