Assessing physicochemical, mechanical, and in vitro biological properties of polycaprolactone/poly(glycerol sebacate)/hydroxyapatite composite scaffold for nerve tissue engineering

Abstract The ability to mimic the extracellular matrix (ECM) by electrospun fibers has opened new practical ways in nerve tissue engineering. In the current research, polycaprolactone (PCL)/poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS) scaffold containing 5, 10, and 15 wt% hydroxyapatite (HAp) particles were electrospinned. The morphology, surface contact angle, mechanical properties, in vitro degradation behavior, and water uptake of the PCL/PGS/HAp fibers were studied. The viability and adhesion of the rat pheochromocytoma cell line (PC12) on each scaffold were investigated using MTT assay and scanning electron microscope (SEM), respectively. SEM images revealed that the fibers were uniform and aligned in general, while by increasing the HAp particles loading from 0 to 15%, the fiber diameter decreased from 831 to 382 nm. According to transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images, needle-like HAp particles were distributed along the fibers. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray analyses confirmed the chemical interactions between PCL, PGS, and HAp. Young's modulus of all fibers was about 0.16–0.3 MPa, which is practically suitable for nerve tissue engineering. HAp particles displayed a positive effect on PC12 viability and adhesion. To conclude, the results suggested that electrospun PCL/PGS/HAp fibers can be a promising biodegradable scaffold for serving in nerve tissue engineering.