Evaluation of Calcium Phosphate-Coated Silk Fabric Produced by Sol-Gel Processing as a Wound Cover Material

Abstract

Calcium phosphate was coated onto silk fabric using sol-gel processing combined with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation at ambient temperature after dipping and withdrawing silk fabric into and from the sol solution. The calcium phosphate-coated silk fabric had no cytotoxicity, similarly to uncoated silk fabric. Mouse fibroblast adhesion on the calcium phosphate-coated silk fabric was less than that on the uncoated silk fabric. We attributed this low cell adhesion on the calcium phosphate-coated silk fabric to the surface energy change of silk fabric by calcium phosphate coating, not from cytotoxicity. The wound area on the rat skin defect covered with the calcium phosphate-coated silk fabric decreased at a comparable rate with that of commercial silicone gauze. This result demonstrates that the calcium phosphate-coated silk fabric does not prevent the wound healing process. Results of blood coagulation tests showed shorter activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) of rat plasma contacted with the apatite-coated silk fabric than for plasma contacted with non-coated silk fabric. This result indicates the calcium phosphate-coated silk fabric has a hemostatic effect. We expect the calcium phosphate-coated silk fabric is useful as a wound dressing material with hemostatic effect.