Dual-Functionalized Electrospun PCL Membranes with Polydopamine/Gold Nanoparticles: Cytocompatibility Assessment for...

Myocardial infarction causes scar tissue formation and poor electrical conduction. Cardiac patches are used to functionally support damaged cardiac tissue. Electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) membranes, one of the most investigated biocompatible and biodegradable materials to be used as cardiac patch, have limitations due to inherent hydrophobicity and weak electrical conductivity. It was aimed at developing a material in membrane form as cardiac patch to overcome these limitations for supporting damaged myocardium during therapy stage, and for better adhesion and proliferation of cardiac cells. For this purpose, the electrospun membranes were coated with polydopamine (PDA) or in situ gold nanoparticle (AuNP) decorated following PDA coating. The analyses exhibited that the PDA-AuNP modification transformed the hydrophobic PCL to a microenvironment with higher hydrophilicity and enhanced electrical conductivity with PDA concentration dependent manner. Indirect extract-based indirect cytotoxicity assessment assay on human cardiomyocyte (HCM) and human neuroblastoma cells revealed no toxicity. Seven and 14 days of HCM culture studies showed that cell adhesion and proliferation significantly increased in accordance with the increasing PDA concentration. However, highest AuNP deposition exhibited a slight decrease compared to its lower concentration group since all AuNP deposited groups exhibited increased cell adhesion and proliferation compared to their only PDA coated analogues. This decrease was attributed to extreme hydrophilicity and surface energy of the membranes diminishing the effective adhesion of the cells to fiber surface. The dual functionalized electrospun PCL membranes were concluded to be a promising candidate to be used as cardiac patch, especially the ones coated with PDA in 2 mg/mL solution and decorated with AuNPs, exhibiting an electrical conductivity enhancement by approximately 1000-fold and highest cell adhesion and proliferation.