Activity patterns of cardiomyocytes in electrospun scaffolds of poly (ε-caprolactone), collagen, and epicatechin

Cardiovascular pathologies can be treated with a substrate that mimics the extracellular matrix (ECM) to regenerate infarcted tissue. We determined the activity patterns of chick embryonic cardiomyocytes in electrospun scaffolds produced with combinations of poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL), collagen (COL), and epicatechin (EPI); namely, PCL, PCL-EPI, PCL-COL, and PCL-COL-EPI, and with the cytotoxicity assay and calcium imagine proved their effectiveness at keeping cardiomyocyte cells alive. The addition of collagen with the same electrospun parameters was found to decrease fiber diameter, Young's modulus, and contact angle, while the chick embryonic cardiomyocytes presented a higher frequency of activity and synchronicity. In contrast, the scaffolds comprised only of PCL and PCL-EPI showed a higher Young's modulus, a larger fiber diameter, a greater contact angle. Besides, chick cardiomyocytes did not present synchronicity and had a lower frequency. The activity patterns of chick cardiomyocytes could be modified with the addition collagen or epicatechin in the PCL scaffolds for the potential application to regenerate damaged cardiac tissue.