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.

Inclusões de quitosana no subcutâneo de rato: avaliação clínica, histológica e morfométrica

“…Essa foi também a conclusão a que chegaram outros estudiosos, porém fazendo uso do material para outros fins. 1,19,22,23 Outro aspecto a ressaltar foi que não houve colonização do implante por células do hospedeiro, sendo esse um material que não possui poros, de superfície totalmente lisa. Dessa forma, inclusões de quitosana devem ser consideradas implantes que não sofrem integração com o hospedeiro, permanecendo com as características que apresentavam antes do contato com o receptor.…”

Chitosan as a starting material for wound healing applications

“…Kratz et al prepared heparin-chitosan membranes and reported that the wound healing activity of heparin-chitosan complexes was dependent on heparin concentration. While 1.9% heparin was not sufficient to induce re-epithelialization, 7.7% of heparin included in the chitosan complexes led to almost complete re-epithelialization (Kratz et al, 1997). This suggests that, to reach therapeutic efficacy, a timely, controlled delivery of heparin at an appropriate dose is needed, which is achieved by ionic complexation with chitosan.…”

Maintenance of CD34 Expression During Proliferation of CD34 + Cord Blood Cells on Glycosaminoglycan Surfaces

“…We have previously used this ionic interaction to microencapsulate primary hepatocytes [15,22]. Similar chitosan-GAG complexes have also been applied as aids to wound healing and tissue regeneration [23][24][25]. Membranes produced by the GAG-chitosan complex formation procedure appeared granular and textured under the phase contrast light microscope.…”