We have studied how copolymers found in many tissues, incorporate in collagen-based hydrogels. In our experiments we examined how hyaluronic acid affected collagen's structure and polymerization rates. When comparing our control 3 g/l collagen hydrogels to those containing hyaluronic acid mixed with 3 g/l collagen at the ratio of 1 part of hyaluronic acid to 2 parts of collagen, we determined that there was no significant change in the hydrogels' structures or assembly kinetics due to presence of hyaluronic acid. Both, nanostructures, examined with transmission electron microscopy, and microstructures studied with second harmonic generation microscopy, within the collagen hydrogels were unaffected. On the nanoscale, the average collagen fibril diameter in presence of hyaluronic acid (52 fibrils) was 76 nm � same as in collagen hydrogels alone. On the microscale, the fiber-like collagen structures were short as in typical collagen hydrogels prepared at 37 �C and about 1 um in diameter.

Assembling collagen hydrogels in the presence of copolymers

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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