Electrospun micro/nanofibrous conduits composed of poly(ε‐caprolactone) and small intestine submucosa powder for nerve tissue regeneration

Abstract Three‐dimensional biocompatible and biodegradable scaffolds play important roles in tissue engineering. In this study, fibrous mats composed of electrospun poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)/small intestine submucosa (SIS) tubes were fabricated with a high degree of longitudinal alignment as a conduit for peripheral nerves. Fourier transform infrared analyses of electrospun PCL/SIS mats with various amounts of SIS showed that the SIS was well embedded within the PCL matrix. The diameter of the PCL/SIS fibers with the 3 wt % of SIS in the PCL solution decreased 40% relative to that of pure PCL fibers due to increased electrical conductivity and decreased surface tension. PCL / SIS (3 wt %) electrospun mats exhibited various synergistic effects, including stronger mechanical properties (Young's modulus = more than 80%) and enhanced hydrophilicity (water contact angle at 30 min = 54°) relative to pure PCL (water contact angle at 30 min = 142°). Cell attachment and proliferation experiments demonstrated that the interactions between nerve cells (PC‐12) and the PCL/SIS conduits were more favorable than those between PC‐12 cells and a pure PCL conduit. This study contributes to the understanding of the effects of including SIS in electrospun composite mats. The ability to fabricate highly aligned tubes of PCL/SIS with appropriate mechanical properties and cellular interactions shows great potential for the design of nerve regeneration conduits. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2010.