Osteogenic induction of bone marrow mesenchymal cells on electrospun polycaprolactone/chitosan nanofibrous membrane

A novel chitosan/polycaprolactone (CS/PCL) nanofibrous membrane by electrospinning was developed for guided tissue regeneration (GTR) to improve mechanical properties and to promote osteogenic differentiation. Firstly, chitosan and PCL solutions of different weight ratios (0/100, 30/70, 50/50) were mixed and then electrospun. Our data demonstrated that the CS/PCL (30/70) nanofibrous membrane promoted an increased rBMSCs proliferation when compared to the CS/PCL (50/50) membrane and pure PCL (0/100) membrane. The highest ALP activity and extracellular calcium deposit were observed on the CS/PCL (30/70) nanofibrous membrane, followed by the CS/PCL (50/50) and pure PCL nanofibrous membrane. Furthermore, the expression of osteocalcin (OCN) and Runx2 were also significantly higher on the CS/PCL (30/70, 50/50) nanofibrous membrane as compared to the pure PCL nanofibrous membrane. In conclusion, the electrospun CS/PCL nanofibrous membrane was found to be a biocompatible material that could stimulate osteogenic differentiation, suggesting that the novel CS/PCL membrane has an interesting potential as use for GTR.