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In the present study, gabapentin (GBP), an anticonvulsant drug used as an analgesic to control the neuropathic pains, was incorporated with cellulose acetate (CA) and gelatin (Gel) in order to develop a potential scaffold for neural tissue engineering applications. The wet-electrospinning method was used to produce the drug-loaded three-dimensional scaffolds from CA/Gel [1:1 (w/w)] solution in the water/ethanol (3:7) (v/v) coagulation baths containing 3%, 6% and 12% (w/v) of GBP. The scaffolds were evaluated regarding their morphology, contact angle, porosity, tensile strength and cellular response. The scaffold obtained from 6% (w/v) GBP bath was chosen as the optimum scaffold for further in vivo study in a sciatic nerve defect model in Wistar rats. The results of sciatic functional index, hot plate latency, weight-loss percentage of the wet gastrocnemius muscle and the histopathological examination using hematoxylin–eosin staining demonstrated that the GBP-containing scaffold significantly enhanced the regeneration of the created injury, which demonstrates its applicability for neural tissue engineering applications.

As skin defects cannot regenerate by themselves, tissue engineering through tissue-mimicking scaffolds holds promise for treating such defects. In this study, cellulose acetate (CA)-based three-dimensional scaffolds were produced using the wet-electrospinning technique, and the influence of concentrations on the properties of the wet-electrospun scaffolds was investigated for the first time. CA with concentrations of 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 14 % (w/v) were dissolved in acetone to fabricate the scaffolds. Wet electrospinning was carried out under an applied voltage of 15 kV and a tip-to-bath distance of 10 cm into the aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) (pH ~13) as a coagulation bath. The specimens with concentrations of 4–7 % (w/v) just produced droplets. The concentration of 8 % (w/v) produced beaded fibers, and the fibers of 9, 10, 12 and 14 % (w/v) were almost oriented in a random, dispersive manner and formed a non-woven structure morphology under scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation. The porosity measurement via the liquid displacement method showed that all scaffolds could not meet the accepted ideal porosity percentage of above 80 %, and the highest recorded porosity percentage was 69.5 % for the 12 % (w/v) scaffold. The contact angle measurement data displayed the high hydrophobicity of all scaffolds, which was expected because of the hydrophobic nature of CA. In vitro L929 mouse fibroblast cell culture demonstrated that all scaffolds presented a non-toxic environment and enhanced cell proliferation and attachment.