Electrospun polyvinyl alcohol-chitosan dressing stimulates infected diabetic wound healing with combined reactive oxygen species scavenging and antibacterial abilities

Diabetic wounds (DW) are constantly challenged by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and susceptibility to bacterial contamination. Therefore, the elimination of ROS in the immediate vicinity and the eradication of local bacteria are critical to stimulating the efficient healing of diabetic wounds. In the current study, we encapsulated mupirocin (MP) and cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) into a polyvinyl alcohol/chi-tosan (PVA/CS) polymer, and then a PVA/chitosan nanofiber membrane wound dressing was fabricated using electrostatic spinning, which is a simple and efficient method for fabricating membrane materials. The PVA/ chitosan nanofiber dressing provided a controlled release of MP, which produced rapid and long-lasting bacte-ricidal activity against both methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains. Simultaneously, the CeNPs embedded in the membrane exhibited the desired ROS scavenging capacity to maintain the local ROS at a normal physiological level. Moreover, the biocompatibility of the multifunctional dressing was evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, PVA-CS-CeNPs-MP integrated the desirable features of a wound dressing, including rapid and broad-spectrum antimicrobial and ROS scavenging activities, easy application, and good biocompatibility. The results validated the effectiveness of our PVA/chitosan nano-fiber dressing, highlighting its promising translational potential in the treatment of diabetic wounds.

Automated summary

In this study, mupirocin and cerium oxide nanoparticles were encapsulated in a polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan polymer to fabricate a nanofiber wound dressing using electrostatic spinning. The dressing released mupirocin, which exhibited rapid and long-lasting bactericidal activity against both methicillin-sensitive S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains. Meanwhile, the cerium oxide nanoparticles in the membrane scavenged reactive oxygen species to maintain a normal physiological level. The dressing showed good biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo, highlighting its potential in the treatment of diabetic wounds.