A self-assembling bioactive oligopeptide hydrogel for the treatment of edema following prepuce surgery†

Edema of the prepuce is a common clinical complication following circumcision in urology. Nevertheless, the principal method of gauze wrapping in clinical practice has not yet been demonstrated to be an effective solution to the problem of postoperative edema. It is therefore evident that the development of functional dressings for the treatment of post-circumcision edema has considerable potential for both clinical application and translational significance. The objective of this study was to develop a single-component bioactive oligopeptide hydrogel dressing with favorable anti-inflammatory, pro-angiogenesis properties and biosafety for the treatment of edema following prepuce surgery. A hexapeptide (Ac-FFFGHK-OH) hydrogelator was designed and synthesized through the N-terminal modification of a human-derived glycine–histidine–lysine tripeptide (GHK) with an N-acetylated phenylalanine tripeptide (Ac-FFF). The bioactive Ac-FFFGHK-OH hydrogel can be prepared through a facile self-assembly method. Furthermore, a novel experimental animal model of post-circumcision edema in Sprague–Dawley rats was constructed and the in vivo anti-edema effect of the Ac-FFFGHK-OH hydrogel was confirmed. The mechanism of action in relieving edema was also investigated by in vitro cell experiments. This work may inspire alternative thinking for the development of mono-component bioactive oligopeptide hydrogels for the treatment of edema in various diseases.