An Injectable Chitosan Hydrogel Loaded with Allopurinol as a Potential Wound Dressing Material to Treat Skin Wounds After Fracture Surgery: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study

Abstract

In the current study, Allopurinol was loaded into chitosan hydrogel to developed an injectable wound dressing material for treating skin wounds after fracture surgery. The hydrogel system was prepared by cross-linking with Tripolyphosphate. Various In Vitro experiments including cell viability assay, cytoprotection assay, cell migration assay, water uptake capacity measurement, and drug release assay were performed to characterize the dressings. In Vivo study was performed in a rat model of excisional wound. Results showed that Allopurinol-incorporated hydrogel system was not toxic and preserved cell viability under H2O2-induced oxidative stress. In Vivo study revealed that Allopurinol-delivering hydrogel had significantly higher wound contraction than pure chitosan hydrogel and negative control groups. Histopathological studies showed that wounds treated chitosan/Allopurinol hydrogel had higher collagen deposition and epithelial thickness. This system can be potential applied in the clinic to promote skin wound healing after fracture surgeries.