Preparation and characterization of small intestinal submucosa coated with poly(vinyl alcohol) for wound dressing

Small intestinal submucosa(SIS) consists of some growth factors which can stimulate cell activity, and PVA has been widely utilized in the area of wound dressing as hydrogel which is easy to be removed from wounds. In this study, native SIS sheets were coated with PVA by immersing them into 2, 4, and 10 wt% of PVA solution and then lyophilized on two type of molds to endow the prepared wound dressing with easy removal property from wounds. The mechanical properties were examined through tensile test. Moreover, enzymatic degradation, water uptake, and in vitro test were carried out to characterize the prepared SIS sheets. The tensile strength of the SIS sheets coated with PVA (PVA-SIS) were decreased, whereas the elongation were increased. Degradation ratio of the PVA-SIS sheets was decreased compare to native SIS. Water uptake ability was improved at 2 and 4 wt% of PVA. The degree of fibroblast attachment was lower than the native SIS sheets. In conclusion, this study suggests that the PVA coated SIS sheets have a potential for the applications of wound dressing and biodegradable injectable materials.