Neural tissue regeneration by a gabapentin-loaded cellulose acetate/gelatin wet-electrospun scaffold

In the present study, gabapentin (GBP), an anticonvulsant drug used as an analgesic to control the neuropathic pains, was incorporated with cellulose acetate (CA) and gelatin (Gel) in order to develop a potential scaffold for neural tissue engineering applications. The wet-electrospinning method was used to produce the drug-loaded three-dimensional scaffolds from CA/Gel [1:1 (w/w)] solution in the water/ethanol (3:7) (v/v) coagulation baths containing 3%, 6% and 12% (w/v) of GBP. The scaffolds were evaluated regarding their morphology, contact angle, porosity, tensile strength and cellular response. The scaffold obtained from 6% (w/v) GBP bath was chosen as the optimum scaffold for further in vivo study in a sciatic nerve defect model in Wistar rats. The results of sciatic functional index, hot plate latency, weight-loss percentage of the wet gastrocnemius muscle and the histopathological examination using hematoxylin–eosin staining demonstrated that the GBP-containing scaffold significantly enhanced the regeneration of the created injury, which demonstrates its applicability for neural tissue engineering applications.