title: Improved cellular response on multiwalled carbon nanotube-incorporated electrospun polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan nanofibrous scaffolds.
abstract: We report the fabrication of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-incorporated electrospun polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/chitosan (CS) nanofibers with improved cellular response for potential tissue engineering applications. In this study, smooth and uniform PVA/CS and PVA/CS/MWCNTs nanofibers with water stability were formed by electrospinning, followed by crosslinking with glutaraldehyde vapor. The morphology, structure, and mechanical properties of the formed electrospun fibrous mats were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and mechanical testing, respectively. We showed that the incorporation of MWCNTs did not appreciably affect the morphology of the PVA/CS nanofibers; importantly the protein adsorption ability of the nanofibers was significantly improved. In vitro cell culture of mouse fibroblasts (L929) seeded onto the electrospun scaffolds showed that the incorporation of MWCNTs into the PVA/CS nanofibers significantly promoted cell proliferation. Results from this study hence suggest that MWCNT-incorporated PVA/CS nanofibrous scaffolds with small diameters (around 160 nm) and high porosity can mimic the natural extracellular matrix well, and potentially provide many possibilities for applications in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Textile Science & Technology, Ministry of Education, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huihui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Ruiling
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Mingwu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Xueyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Yanzhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents / Q000737:chemistry; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol / Q000737:chemistry*; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol; D048271:Chitosan