Design and fabrication of a chitosan hydrogel with gradient structures via a step-by-step cross-linking process

Yongxiang Xu; Shenpo Yuan; Jianmin Han; Hong Lin; Xuehui Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.08.032

Design and fabrication of a chitosan hydrogel with gradient structures via a step-by-step cross-linking process

Carbohydr Polym. 2017 Nov 15:176:195-202. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.08.032. Epub 2017 Aug 23.

Authors

Yongxiang Xu¹, Shenpo Yuan², Jianmin Han³, Hong Lin⁴, Xuehui Zhang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Dental Materials, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: xuyx@hsc.pku.edu.cn.
² Department of Dental Materials, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: yuanshenpo@163.com.
³ Department of Dental Materials, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: hanjianmin@bjmu.edu.cn.
⁴ Department of Dental Materials, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: hong196lin@sina.com.
⁵ Department of Dental Materials, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; National Engineering Laboratory for Digital and Material Technology of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Digital Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China. Electronic address: zhangxuehui914@163.com.

PMID: 28927599
DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.08.032

Abstract

The development of scaffolds to mimic the gradient structure of natural tissue is an important consideration for effective tissue engineering. In the present study, a physical cross-linking chitosan hydrogel with gradient structures was fabricated via a step-by-step cross-linking process using sodium tripolyphosphate and sodium hydroxide as sequential cross-linkers. Chitosan hydrogels with different structures (single, double, and triple layers) were prepared by modifying the gelling process. The properties of the hydrogels were further adjusted by varying the gelling conditions, such as gelling time, pH, and composition of the crosslinking solution. Slight cytotoxicity was showed in MTT assay for hydrogels with uncross-linking chitosan solution and non-cytotoxicity was showed for other hydrogels. The results suggest that step-by-step cross-linking represents a practicable method to fabricate scaffolds with gradient structures.

Keywords: Chitosan; Gradient structure; Hydrogel; Step-by-step cross-linking.