Fabrication and characterization of electrospun gelatin-heparin nanofibers as vascular tissue engineering

In this paper, heparin was introduced into electrospun gelatin nanofibrous scaffold for assessment as a controlled delivery device in vascular tissue engineering application. Hybrid gelatin-heparin fibers with smooth surfaces and no bead defects were produced from gelatin solutions with 18% w/v in acetic acid aqueous solution. A significant decrease in fiber diameter was observed when the heparin content was increased from 1 to 5 wt%. The properties of composite gelatin-heparin scaffolds were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurement. The gelatin-heparin fibrous scaffolds were also cross-linked using 1 wt% glutaraldehyde vapor-phase for 7 days. A sustained release of heparin could be achieved from gelatinheparin scaffolds over 14 days. The results of the biocompatibility in vitro tests carried out using human umbilical vein endothelial cells indicated good cell viability and proliferation on the gelatin-heparin scaffolds. The results demonstrated that the use of electrospun gelatin fibers as heparin carriers could be promising for vascular tissue applications. [graphic not available: see fulltext]