Gold Nanoparticle incorporated Polyurethane-collagen Nanofibers for Cardiovascular Reconstruction

Aim and Background: According to the restricted self-regeneration potential of cardiac myocardium, engineering of the cardiovascular tissues has been considered. In the present study, polyurethane-collagen scaffolds with/without gold nanoparticles were prepared and their potential in cardiovascular tissue engineering was investigated. Methods: Polyurethane-collagen nanofibers were obtained using electrospinning. Also, green synthesized gold nanoparticles were added into the polymer solutions and nanofibers containing nanoparticles were fabricated in a single step approach. The obtained fibers and nanoparticles were characterized with UV.VIS spectroscopy, SEM and TEM. Then, HUVEC cells were seeded on the nanofibers and pro liferation of the cells on the nanofibers or toxicity of the scaffolds was examined by alamar blue assay. Results and Discussion: The SEM and TEM micrographs illustrated appropriate incorporation of 7 nm gold nanoparticles inside the PU-Collagen Nanofibers (about 200 nm). Mechanical analyses showed noticeable tensile properties (Young’s modulus: 1.4 MPa) and cell studies demonstrated the proper cyto-compatibility of the prepared structures, compared to the controls. Conclusion: The findings showed that polyurethane-collagen nanofibers with/without gold nanoparticles would be promising for cardiovascular tissue engineering.