title: The controlling biodegradation of chitosan fibers by N-acetylation in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the present study, we investigated the biodegradation of the fibers of chitosan and its acetylated derivatives in vitro and in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  A series of chitosan fibers, with acetylation degrees of 7.7%, 21.6%, 40.9%, 61.2%, 82.5% and 93.4%, were obtained by acetylating chitosan filament with acetic anhydride, and were investigated by FT-IR analysis, elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The in vitro experimental data indicated that the degradation rate of chitosan fiber was strongly dependent on the degree of acetylation, and the degradation rate increased with an enhancement of the acetylation degree of chitosan fibers. In vivo degradation experiment evaluated by light microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy, was studied by implanting the fibers between the two nerve stumps of the rat sciatic nerve gap (6 months). The findings demonstrated that acetylation degree could influence the degradation rate of chitosan fibers in vivo.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggested that acetylated chitosan (chitin) fibers were more biodegradable than chitosan and the biodegradation rate of chitin fiber can be controlled to desirable extent by the variation of acetylation degree.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: X D
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: X S
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000818:Animals; D048271:Chitosan / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008658:Inactivation, Metabolic; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011108:Polymers / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers; D048271:Chitosan