Electrospun poly(1,4-butylene succinate) extended with 1,6- diisocyanatohexane fiber mats and their potential use as bone scaffolds

Abstract

Ultrafine Poly(butylene succinate) extended with 1,6-diisocyanatohexane (PBSu-DCH) fibers were successfully fabricated by electrospinning from 22% PBSu- DCH dissolved in 90:10 dichloromethane / trifluoroacetic acid co-solvent system. The effects of processing parameters including, solution concentration, applied electric field, and collecting distance on morphological appearance and size of as-spun- fibers were evaluated. Indirect cytotoxicity evaluation of the electrospun fiber mats of PBS based on human osteoblasts (SaOS-2) and mouse fibroblasts (L929) revealed that the as-spun mats did not release substances detrimental to the cells. The potential use of the as-spun PBS fiber mats as bone scaffolding materials was evaluated in vitro with human osteoblasts (SaOS-2) in terms of biocompatibility, cell- attachment, cell proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of the cells that were cultured directly on the scaffolds. The results were compared with those on solvent-cast film scaffolds and tissue-culture polystyrene plate (TCPS). It was found that the as-spun PBSu-DCH scaffolds promoted much better adhesion and proliferation of the cells than the solvent-cast film scaffolds and TCPS. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images confirm that the phenotype of SaOS-2 was maintained during the cell culture. Interestingly, the cells that were cultured on the fibrous scaffolds exhibited the expanded shape with discrete branches on their surface after only about 1 hr in culture, while those cultured on the film scaffolds and glass substrate were still round. This evidence implies the possibility of using the as-spun PBSu-DCH fiber mats as bone scaffolds.