Abstract Carboxymethyl hyaluronic acid (CMHA) hydrogels crosslinked by radiation are ideal candidates for biocompatible materials. We have previously prepared CMHA hydrogels by radiation crosslinking in paste-like state or highly concentrated aqueous solution without the addition of any initiators or crosslinking agents. In this study, CMHAs with degree of substitution (DS) of 0.34–0.74 were synthesized. The crosslinking of CMHA with DS of 0.74 and Mw of 314 kDa by gamma-irradiation at 10%–60% w/w concentration and doses of 20–120 kGy was evaluated. CMHA degraded at 10% and 20% concentration as no gel content was measured for all dose range. For concentrations 40% and 60%, the gel content ranged from 15% to 68%. Crosslinking efficiency was improved compared to our previous study due to increased DS and molecular weight. Swelling in water of CMHA hydrogels ranged from 43 to 2400 g H2O/g dry gel. FTIR results showed that crosslinking was accompanied by changes in the chemical structure. Thermal stability of crosslinked CMHA was found to decrease with increasing dose. CMHA hydrogels prepared at 60 and 120 kGy did not show any cytotoxic effects as evaluated by MTT assay. The range of swelling properties and good biocompatibility can open a wide variety of applications for radiation-processed CMHA hydrogels.

中文翻译：

---

辐射诱导交联制备羧甲基透明质酸生物相容性水凝胶

摘要 通过辐射交联的羧甲基透明质酸 (CMHA) 水凝胶是生物相容性材料的理想候选者。我们之前已经通过在糊状状态或高浓度水溶液中辐射交联制备了 CMHA 水凝胶，而无需添加任何引发剂或交联剂。在本研究中，合成了取代度 (DS) 为 0.34-0.74 的 CMHA。通过 10%–60% w/w 浓度和 20–120 kGy 剂量的伽马辐射，评估了 CMHA 与 DS 为 0.74 和 Mw 为 314 kDa 的交联。CMHA 在 10% 和 20% 浓度下降解，因为在所有剂量范围内都没有测量到凝胶含量。对于 40% 和 60% 的浓度，凝胶含量范围从 15% 到 68%。由于 DS 和分子量增加，与我们之前的研究相比，交联效率得到了提高。CMHA 水凝胶在水中的溶胀范围为 43 至 2400 g H2O/g 干凝胶。FTIR 结果表明交联伴随着化学结构的变化。发现交联的 CMHA 的热稳定性随着剂量的增加而降低。以 60 和 120 kGy 制备的 CMHA 水凝胶通过 MTT 测定没有显示任何细胞毒性作用。溶胀特性的范围和良好的生物相容性可以为辐射处理的 CMHA 水凝胶开辟广泛的应用领域。