Antibacterial and Cellular Response Toward a Gasotransmitter-Based Hybrid Wound Dressing

Biological processes such as infection, angiogenesis, and fibroblast proliferation and migration need to be regulated for effective healing of a wound. Failing to do so can delay the overall wound healing and add to the suffering and healthcare cost. Endogenous nitric oxide (NO) is a well-known gasotransmitter in the natural healing process in humans and other mammals. To utilize its inherent ability in the current study, an exogenous NO donor (S-nitroso-glutathione, GSNO) was integrated into a hybrid formulation consisting of a natural polymer (alginate) and a synthetic polymer (poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)). The alginate–PVA–GSNO dressings showed a sustained NO release for 72 h that resulted in 99.89 ± 0.40% and 98.93 ± 0.69% eradication of Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively, which are among the most common causal agents of wound infections. The designed dressings resulted in a 3-fold increase in the proliferation of human endothelial cells when compared with control without GSNO showing its angiogenic potential. In addition, mouse fibroblast cells exposed to leachates from alginate–PVA–GSNO dressings showed significantly higher proliferation when compared to control alginate–PVA showing the NO release from exogenous GSNO in fibroblast proliferation. Fibroblast migration was shown to be much faster with GSNO-based dressings when compared to corresponding control dressings resulting in complete closure of an in vitro wound model within 48 h. The porous dressings also possessed important physical properties such as swelling, water vapor transmission, and moisture content that are desirable for effective wound healing. Overall, this study supports the possibility of using therapeutic alginate–PVA–GSNO dressing to provide a supportive environment for accelerated wound healing.