Multifunctional bupivacaine-loaded electrospun PVA-TCN-polydopamine membranes for enhanced wound healing and analgesia

Wound management faces several critical challenges, including infection, delayed healing, and pain. To address the issues, we developed a multifunctional film by loading bupivacaine into a PVA-TCN-polydopamine electrospun membrane (PVA/TCN@DA-BL), offering a new strategy for wound analgesia and infection control. Chitin nanofibers (TCN), a natural bioactive component, synergistically enhanced the membrane's antibacterial efficacy, structural stability, and overall wound healing capacity. In vitro evaluations confirmed excellent biocompatibility, with cell viability exceeding 95% in both mouse embryonic fibroblasts and macrophages, and hemolysis rates below 1.5%. In a murine wound model, the PVA/TCN@DA-BL groups achieved nearly complete wound closure by day 11, significantly outperforming the control group. Histological analysis revealed accelerated re-epithelialization, dense collagen deposition, and well-organized granulation tissue formation. Immunofluorescence staining showed increased phosphorylation levels of mTOR and p70S6K in the treated wounds, suggesting that REDD1/mTOR-related signaling changes may be associated with the overall wound-repair microenvironment. The work suggests that the PVA/TCN@DA-BL not only provides analgesic effects but also actively promotes cellular proliferation and tissue regeneration through molecular pathway modulation. The electrospun membranes combine structural stability, biocompatibility, and bioactive healing acceleration, showing significant potential for clinical wound management applications.