An Injectable Thermosensitive Chitosan/Astaxanthin/Ibuprofen Hydrogel Mitigates High-Voltage, Low-Current Electrical...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Regenerative Medicine
• Wound Healing Research

Background:

• High-voltage, low-current electrical burns cause superficial second-degree injuries characterized by oxidative stress and inflammation.
• Effective clinical treatment for these electrical burns remains a significant challenge.
• Current treatments often fail to address the complex cycle of damage and inflammation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of an injectable, thermosensitive chitosan hydrogel loaded with astaxanthin (antioxidant) and ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory).
• To investigate the therapeutic potential of this CS/AST/IBU hydrogel for high-voltage, low-current electrical burn injuries.
• To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the hydrogel's wound repair promotion.

Main Methods:

• Preparation and characterization of the thermosensitive CS/AST/IBU hydrogel.
• Injection of the hydrogel into electrical burn wounds in Sprague-Dawley rats (20 kV, 3 mA).
• Comprehensive analysis of wound healing dynamics and repair mechanisms.

Main Results:

• The hydrogel exhibited thermally responsive gelation at 37 °C, conforming to wound irregularities.
• Combined action of astaxanthin and ibuprofen reduced oxidative stress markers (ROS, MDA) and enhanced antioxidant synthesis (SOD, CAT, GSH).
• The hydrogel promoted collagen deposition, dermal appendage development, neovascularization, and modulated the NF-κB pathway to reduce inflammation (TNF-α, CD11b, IL-1β) while upregulating anti-inflammatory markers (CD163).

Conclusions:

• The contour-adaptive, injectable hydrogel is an effective strategy for managing complex superficial second-degree electrical burns.
• This multipronged therapeutic approach demonstrates significant potential for treating electrical burn injuries.
• The hydrogel successfully interrupts the cycle of oxidative stress and inflammation, facilitating robust wound repair.