Drug-free and multifunctional sodium bicarbonate/hyaluronic acid hybrid dressing for synergistic healing of infected wounds

Abstract

Skin wounds are susceptible to microbial infections which commonly lead to the delayed wound healing. Rapid clearance of pathogens from the wound is of great significance and importance for efficient healing of the infected wounds. Herein, we report a multifunctional hybrid dressing, which simply combines sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) and hyaluronic acid (HA) for the synergistic wound healing. Addition of NaHCO₃ allows the hybrid dressing to have the great antibacterial and antioxidant activity, while maintaining the intrinsic skin repair function of HA. As a result, NaHCO₃/HA hybrid dressing showed the great antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (E. coli) pathogens, the ability to improve the fibroblasts proliferation and migration, the cell-protection capacity under H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress, and most importantly, the great healing efficacy for the mice wound infected by S. aureus. We further found that the epidermal regeneration, the collagen deposition and the angiogenesis were enhanced by NaHCO₃/HA hybrid dressing. All these effects were NaHCO₃ concentration-dependent. Since the NaHCO₃/HA hybrid dressing is drug-free, easily fabricated, biocompatible, and efficient for wound healing, it may have great potentials for clinical management of infected wounds.

Keywords: Antimicrobial; Inorganic salt; Skin regeneration; Tissue repair; Wound healing.