Comparative evaluation of chitosan-based multifunctional wound dressings: a multistage randomised controlled experimental trial

Background. Wounds of various aetiology are among the most frequent traumatic injuries. A prospective route to improve treatment of this nosology is the development of novel or advancement of the already on-stage dressing materials.Objectives. A comparative experimental assay of novel chitosan-based wound dressings in the healing of soft tissue wounds of different genesis using ultrasound to control biodegradation of the developed dosage form.Methods. Soft tissue wounds were modelled in experimental animals, conventional and lineage male rats, 275 (± 25) g body weight, and male rabbits, 2,900 (± 150) g weight, using a proprietary methodology (Patent on invention RU No. 2703709 dated 23 August, 2018).Two wound dressing samples selected as most promising and applicable in large-volume soft tissue aseptic wounds were tested in the final step of experiment. Ultrasound imaging of the model wound area during the sample material biodegradation was used to control the wound process in more detail. At all steps of experiment, animal models were handled in compliance with GOST 33044-2014 “Principles of Good Laboratory Practice”.Histomorphological assays were carried out with common protocols. Variation statistics was used for the data analysis, including the mean (M) and standard mean error (± m) estimation. The level of statistical significance was p < 0.05.Results. The animal assays and comprehensive evaluation of the obtained data revealed a high healing efficacy of chitosan-based wound coatings. The analyses of wound dressing samples have confirmed their predesigned properties: scaffold stability, capillarity, biodegradability and matrix capacities for the carried drug delivery.Additionally, ultrasound was proved effective to estimate dynamics of the coated wound healing and biopolymer biodegradation processes.Conclusion. The developed chitosan-based wound dressings exhibited efficacy in an experimental model of the soft tissues wound process.The use of ultrasound to study dynamics of the wound process and coating biodegradation provided an adequate congruence between the imaging and tissue histomorphology data, as well as the structure and properties of coating material.