title: Synergistic effect of topography, surface chemistry and conductivity of the electrospun nanofibrous scaffold on cellular response of PC12 cells.
abstract: Electrospun nanofibrous nerve implants is a promising therapy for peripheral nerve injury, and its performance can be tailored by chemical cues, topographical features as well as electrical properties. In this paper, a surface modified, electrically conductive, aligned nanofibrous scaffold composed of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and polypyrrole (Ppy), referred to as o-PLAPpy_A, was fabricated for nerve regeneration. The morphology, surface chemistry and hydrophilicity of nanofibers were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and water contact angle, respectively. The effects of these nanofibers on neuronal differentiation using PC12 cells were evaluated. A hydrophilic surface was created by Poly-ornithine coating, which was able to provide a better environment for cell attachment, and furthermore aligned fibers were proved to be able to guide PC12 cells grow along the fiber direction and be beneficial for neurite outgrowth. The cellular response of PC12 cells to pulsed electrical stimulation was evaluated by NF 200 and alpha tubulin expression, indicating that electrical stimulation with a voltage of 40mV could enhance the neurite outgrowth. The PC12 cells stimulated with electrical shock showed greater level of neurite outgrowth and smaller cell body size. Moreover, the PC12 cells under electrical stimulation showed better viability. In summary, the o-PLAPpy_A nanofibrous scaffold supported the attachment, proliferation and differentiation of PC12 cells in the absence of electrical stimulation, which could be potential candidate for nerve regeneration applications.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology, E3-05-12, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, 2 Engineering Drive 3, 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Lingling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology, E3-05-12, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, 2 Engineering Drive 3, 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Molamma P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Prabhakaran
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology, E3-05-12, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, 2 Engineering Drive 3, 117576, Singapore.
authors.forename: Jue
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus DK-8000, Denmark.
authors.forename: Menglin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Aarhus DK-8000, Denmark.
authors.forename: Flemming
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Besenbacher
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanofibers and Nanotechnology, E3-05-12, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, 2 Engineering Drive 3, 117576, Singapore; Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration (GHMICR), Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China. Electronic address: seeram@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Seeram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramakrishna
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects; D016716:PC12 Cells; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000737:chemistry; D051381:Rats; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D011758:Pyrroles; C067635:polypyrrole; C033616:poly(lactide)
keywords: Aligned nanofibers; Electrical stimulation; Electrically conductive polymer; PC12 cells; Surface modification