Zn^(2+)-Loaded adhesive bacterial cellulose hydrogel with angiogenic and antibacterial abilities for accelerating wound healing

Background:Wound healing is a process that requires angiogenesis and antibacterial activities and it remains a challenge for both experimental and clinical research worldwide.Zn2+has been reported to be widely involved in angiogenesis and exerts antibacterial effects,making it suitable as a treatment to promote wound healing.Therefore Zn2+-loaded adhesive bacterial cellulose hydrogel was designed to observe its angiogenic and antibacterial abilities in the wound healing process.Methods:The characterization,tensile strength,swelling behaviors and antibacterial activity of bacterial cellulose/polydopamine/zeolitic imidazolate framework-8(BC/PDA/ZIF8)hydrogels were tested.Cell-Counting-Kit-8(CCK8),transwell,tube formation and real time qunantitative PCR(qRT-PCR)assays were performed to evaluate the cell compatibility of BC/PDA/ZIF8 hydrogels in vitro.A full-thickness defect wound model and histological assays were used to evaluate the BC/PDA/ZIF8 hydrogels in vivo.Results:The prepared BC/PDA/ZIF8 hydrogels exhibited suitable mechanical strength,excellent swelling properties,good tissue adhesion,efficient angiogenic and antibacterial effects and good performance as a physical barrier.In vivo experiments showed that the BC/PDA/ZIF8 hydrogels accelerated wound healing in a full-thickness defect wound model by stimulating angiogenesis.Conclusions:This study proved that BC/PDA/ZIF8 hydrogels possess great potential for promoting satisfactory wound healing in full-thickness wound defects through antibacterial effects and improved cell proliferation,tissue formation,remodeling and re-epithelialization.