title: Heparin-chitosan complexes stimulate wound healing in human skin.
abstract: The effect of heparin ionically linked to chitosan on the stimulation of re-epithelialisation of full thickness wounds in human skin was investigated in an in vitro model. After seven days of incubation, heparin-chitosan gel stimulated 9/10 of the full thickness wounds to re-epithelialise compared with only 3/10 of the wounds that were covered with chitosan gel or membrane, and none of the wounds incubated without gel or membrane or with heparin solution alone. Both dermal and epidermal cells were viable after the incubation time. Furthermore, the stimulatory effect of the heparin-chitosan complexes depended on the concentration of heparin in the complex. We hypothesise that these effects are caused by stabilisation and activation of growth factors that bind to immobilised heparin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kratz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arnander
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Swedenborg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Back
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gouda
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Larm
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002686:Chitin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D048271:Chitosan; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005782:Gels; D006493:Heparin / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D004337:Drug Carriers; D005782:Gels; D002686:Chitin; D006493:Heparin; D048271:Chitosan