Potential for enhanced wound healing with ZnO nanoparticles
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1
RMIT University, School of Medical Sciences, Australia
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2
Monash University, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Australia
Wound repair is a highly ordered biological process that is essential for the maintenance of the skin’s barrier function. For optimal healing, it is required that the inflammatory, proliferative and remodelling phases of repair occur in the correct sequence with appropriate stimuli to prevent insufficient or excessive activity at key phases. Excessive inflammation interrupts the processes of epidermal cell re-epithelialisation and collagen remodelling, which can promote scaring. Recently of interest are nanoparticles in wound healing. Wound healing products containing nano-silver – primarily used for its antimicrobial properties – are currently being utilised for wound management. However, other metal oxide nanoparticles, including zinc oxide (ZnO), have not been sufficiently tested for their ability to aid healing.
In this study, we have assessed nanoparticulate zinc oxide (ZnO) of varying sizes for their cytotoxicity and wound healing potential using in vitro models of the inflammatory and re-epithelialisation phases of repair.
Cytotoxicity to the ZnO nanoparticulates was assessed colorimetrically, by measuring cell metabolic activity using the tetrazolium compound MTS. Cell viability data was utilised to determine maximal ZnO concentration for subsequent assays. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by the potential of ZnO nanoparticulates to inhibit the formation of pro-inflammatory products via the lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase pathways. Zinc oxide caused a dose dependent inhibition of leukotriene B4 production by lipoxygenase in pig neutrophils exposed in vitro. Cell re-epithelialisation was assessed by measuring the required gap-fill time for a scratched monolayer of either immortalised human keratinocytes (HaCaT cell line), primary human keratinocytes or primary human fibroblasts. The nanoparticulate ZnO showed a significant improvement in a dose- and particle size-dependent manner, in both types of keratinocytes but not in fibroblasts. This enhancement was further investigated by measuring cell proliferation, via staining HaCaT cells with Ki-67, and measuring cell adhesion with Integrin beta-1. However, a significant increase in expression of these two markers was not observed in ZnO-treated cells.
These findings for ZnO nanoparticles show their potential for modulating the rate of epidermal re-epithelialisation and controlling inflammation in healing wounds, both of which are rate limiting processes for efficient wound repair in vivo. However the mechanism aiding repair is yet to be determined.
Keywords:
Cell Proliferation,
in vitro,
nanoparticle
Conference:
10th World Biomaterials Congress, Montréal, Canada, 17 May - 22 May, 2016.
Presentation Type:
Poster
Topic:
Biomaterials in wound healing
Citation:
Aloe
C,
Feltis
B,
Wright
P and
Macrides
T
(2016). Potential for enhanced wound healing with ZnO nanoparticles.
Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.
Conference Abstract:
10th World Biomaterials Congress.
doi: 10.3389/conf.FBIOE.2016.01.00895
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Received:
27 Mar 2016;
Published Online:
30 Mar 2016.