Bridging of nerve gaps after injury is a major problem in peripheral nerve regeneration. Considering the potential application of a bio-artificial nerve guide material, polycaprolactone (PCL)/chitosan nanofibrous scaffolds was designed and evaluated in vitro using rat Schwann cells (RT4-D6P2T) for nerve tissue engineering. PCL, chitosan, and PCL/chitosan nanofibers with average fiber diameters of 630, 450, and 190 nm, respectively, were fabricated using an electrospinning process. The surface chemistry of the fabricated nanofibers was determined using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Simple blending of PCL with chitosan proved an easy and efficient method for fabricating PCL/chitosan nanofibrous scaffolds, whose surface characteristics proved more hydrophilic than PCL nanofibers. Evaluation of mechanical properties showed that the Young's modulus and strain at break of the electrospun PCL/chitosan nanofibers were better than those of the chitosan nanofibers. Results of cell proliferation studies on nanofibrous scaffolds using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay showed 48% more cell proliferation on PCL/chitosan scaffolds than on PCL scaffolds after 8 days of culture. PCL/chitosan scaffolds showed better cell proliferation than PCL scaffolds and maintained their characteristic cell morphology, with spreading bipolar elongations to the nanofibrous substrates. This electrospun nanofibrous matrix thus proved of specific interest in tissue engineering for peripheral nerve regeneration.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.