Abstract
Photocrosslinked hydrogels reinforced by microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) were prepared from a methacrylate-functionalized fish elastin polypeptide and MFC dispersed in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). First, a water-soluble elastin peptide with a molecular weight of ca. 500 g/mol from the fish bulbus arteriosus was polymerized by N,N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), a condensation reagent, and then modified with 2-isocyanatoethyl methacrylate (MOI) to yield a photocrosslinkable fish elastin polypeptide. The product was dissolved in DMSO and irradiated with UV light in the presence of a radical photoinitiator. We obtained hydrogels successfully by substitution of DMSO with water. The composite gel with MFC was prepared by UV irradiation of the photocrosslinkable elastin polypeptide mixed with dispersed MFC in DMSO, followed by substitution of DMSO with water. The tensile test of the composite gels revealed that the addition of MFC improved the tensile properties, and the shape of the stress–strain curve of the composite gel became more similar to the typical shape of an elastic material with an increase of MFC content. The rheology measurement showed that the elastic modulus of the composite gel increased with an increase of MFC content. The cell proliferation test on the composite gel showed no toxicity.
Highlights
Elastin is one of the most important proteins often seen in connective tissues of vertebrates
A fish elastin peptide (ElaPep) we used in the present study was extracted from the bulbus arteriosus of skipjacks by protease hydrolysis [14], and its molecular weight was very low (Mn ~500 g/mol measured by GPC)
Because elastin is mainly composed of amino acids without a reactive side chain such as Gly, Ala, Pro, and Val, fabrication of self-standing materials from an elastin peptide with a very low molecular weight is not easy
Summary
Elastin is one of the most important proteins often seen in connective tissues of vertebrates. Mithieux et al [4] reported biocompatible hydrogels formed by chemical crosslinking of recombinant human tropoelastion with bis(sulfosuccinimidyl) suberate Their hydrogels showed good mechanical properties with linearly extension >150%, and supported cellular growth in vitro using epithelial cells and fibrosarcoma cells. Shiratsuchi et al showed that soluble elastin peptide enhanced the proliferation and migration of fibroblast [15] It has great advantages, if it can be used for fabrication of hydrogels with good mechanical properties and extensibility like elastin-containing tissues. We successfully prepared self-standing hydrogels from a low-molecular weight fish elastin peptide and improved its mechanical properties using commercially-available microfibrillated cellulose. For their application as biomaterials, the fibroblast proliferation was tested
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