Synthesis of a series of dextran-based DA-AHA hydrogels for wound healing dressings

Abstract

In response to the pain, swelling, and redness resulting from inadequate wound hemostasis and anti-inflammatory measures, there is a pressing need to develop wound repair materials capable of promptly stopping bleeding, facilitating painless dressing changes, and expediting wound closure to enhance skin wound recovery. However, comprehensive research is deficient concerning the conformational relationship of hyaluronic acid (HA) with various molecular weights concerning the structure of hydrogel materials. This study aims to address this need by utilizing aminated hyaluronic acid (AHA) and aldehyde-modified dextran (DA) to prepare dextran-based hyaluronic acid hydrogels (DA-AHA) via Schiff base reaction, imbuing them with acute inflammation repair and wound healing promotion properties. In vitro, coagulation experiments demonstrated that the DA-AHA hydrogel could rapidly coagulate blood within 60 s. Subsequent animal experiments corroborated these findings, revealing the hydrogel’s efficacy in significantly shortening wound healing time and accelerating wound closure efficiency. Moreover, MTT and live-death experiments affirmed the non-cytotoxic nature of the synthesized hydrogel. The study delved into the structural regularity and wound-healing efficacy of DA-AHA hydrogel materials featuring various molecular weights. Additionally, it compared the hemostatic and wound-healing properties of (high molecular weight dextran-aminated hyaluronic acid hydrogel) HDA-AHA, demonstrating its superiority in both aspects.