Fibrous guided tissue regeneration membrane loaded with anti-inflammatory agent prepared by coaxial electrospinning for the purpose of controlled release

Abstract Here, with the aim of inhibiting inflammation during guided tissue regeneration membrane (GTRM) implant surgery, coaxial electrospinning was used to fabricate drug-loaded core/sheath nanofiber GTRMs capable of controlled drug release. Various amounts of the anti-inflammatory agent metronidazole (MNA) were encapsulated into the core/sheath nanofibers (where PCL was the core, gelatin the sheath, and the gelatin shell was crosslinked with genipin) in order to establish the minimal drug content necessary to achieve the appropriate anti-inflammatory effect. By using TEM and SEM, the core/sheath structure was confirmed. In vitro drug disolution results showed that the core/sheath nanofibers exhibited sustained release profiles that were superior to those nanofibers produced by blending electrospinning. Additionally, the membrane significantly inhibited the colonization of anaerobic bacteria. Furthermore, with gelatin as a shell, the core/shell nanofiber membranes showed improved hydrophilicity, which resulted in better cell adhesion and proliferation without cytotoxicity. Therefore, in this study, a simple and effective coaxial electrospinning approach was demonstrated for the fabrication of anti-inflammatory GTRMs capable of providing controlled drug release.