Electrospun chitosan nanofibers for hepatocyte culture

In this study, we developed a method to obtain high surface area nanofiber meshes composed of chitosan of a number of molecular weights. This method required decreasing the viscosity and surface tension of the chitosan solution as well as optimization of the electrospinning parameters such as applied voltage and environmental humidity. These chitosan nanofiber meshes were developed as a culture substrate for hepatocytes. The fibers exhibited a uniform diameter distribution (average diameter: 112 nm) and FTIR results indicate that the chemical structure of chitosan is stable during the electrospinning process. The attachment, morphology and activity of hepatocytes cultured on the chitosan nanofiber meshes were tested. The results showed that the chitosan nanofibers are biocompatible with hepatocytes and that these chitosan nanofiber meshes could be useful tissue culture substrates for various applications, including bioartificial liver-assist devices and tissue engineering for liver regeneration.