In vivo pressure sore-healing efficacy of β-cyclodextrin/polyethyleneimine/silk fibroin xerogel.

β-Cyclodextrin (βCD) xerogel containing silk fibroin (SF) was prepared, and the efficacy of the xerogel for a pressure sore developed on the back of an ICR mouse was investigated. Tosyl βCD was conjugated to polyethyleneimine (PEI), and the βCD residues were cross-linked in an aqueous phase using epichlorohydrin as a cross-linker in the presence of SF. The xerogel composed of βCD, PEI, and SF (βCD/PEI/SF xerogel) was prepared by freeze drying the hydrogel. The in vivo pressure sore-healing efficacy of the xerogel was estimated through the skin appearance, skin thickness, hyperplasia of the epidermis, and number of neutrophils in the skin tissue. The animal group treated with βCD/PEI/SF xerogels showed a better sore-healing efficacy than the group without treatment and the group treated with over-the-counter products through the determination of the reduction of hyperplasia of the epidermis and the number of neutrophils in skin tissue. We also got the same result by macroscopic evaluation. βCD/PEI/SF xerogel exhibited a high wound-healing efficacy for pressure sores developed on the back of an ICR mouse and left no scar.