Research advances on the role of competing endogenous RNAs in wound healing / 中华烧伤杂志

Wound healing, as one of the important public health issues, has been a worldwide problem. Due to the unique biological wound environment, wound healing is a very complex process with current treatments requiring long cycles, being poorly effective, and bringing high economic burden to patients. An increasing number of studies have shown that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play important roles in wound healing process. The competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) hypothesis in recent years is a new proposal on the inter-regulation of RNAs, which suggests a "mode of communication" between different RNAs. ceRNA regulatory network (ceRNET) combines the functions of protein-coding mRNA with ncRNA (e.g., microRNA, long non-coding RNA, pseudogenes, and circular RNA). Recent studies have shown that ceRNAs play important roles in wound healing, which may provide new effective therapeutic targets for wound healing. This paper starting with ceRNET systematically reviewed the research progress on the effects of various ceRNAs in wound healing and the future research challenges, with the aim to deeply explore the molecular mechanisms and clinical significance of ceRNAs in the process of wound healing.

Molecular mechanisms in the process of re-epithelization in wound healing and the action of honey in keratinocytes / Mecanismos moleculares en el proceso de re-epitelización en cicatrización de heridas y la acción de la miel en queratinocitos

SUMMARY: The treatment of chronic wounds has become a public health issue in recent years mainly due to comorbidities associated with an older population and bacterial resistance. Honey has emerged as an alternative treatment for chronic wounds but lack of knowledge of its mechanism of actionin the treated tissue and low quality of evidence in clinical triads has distanced the medical community from honey as a possible treatment. One of the main processes that is altered in chronic wounds is re-epithelialization mediated by keratinocytes, where proliferation and migration processes are altered. Markers of proliferation, migration and activation of keratinocytes, such as adhesion molecules, growth factors, membrane receptors, signal translating proteins, transcription factors, microRNAs, among others are deregulated in this process. In general, honeys from different floral origins have a positive effect on markers of proliferation and migration in keratinocytes. In conclusion there are still few studies that focus on the molecular action of honey in keratinocytes and fail to report details on the honey used not allowing to achieve the same results.

RESUMEN: El tratamiento de heridas crónicas (HC) se ha vuelto un tema de salud pública en los últimos años, principalmente debido a comorbilidades asociadas a una población de mayor edad y a la resistencia bacteriana. La miel ha surgido como un tratamiento alternativo para HC pero la falta de conocimiento de su mecanismo de acción en el tejido tratado y de la baja calidad de la evidencia en triadas clínicas, ha distanciado a la comunidad médica de la miel como posible tratamiento. Uno de los principales procesos que se ve alterado en las HC es la re-epitelización mediada por queratinocitos, donde se ven alterados los procesos de proliferación y migración. Marcadores de proliferación, migración y activación de queratinocitos, como moléculas de adhesión, factores de crecimiento, receptores de membrana, proteínas traductores de señales, factores de transcripción, microARNs, entre otras, se ven desreguladas en éste proceso. De manera general las mieles de diferentes orígenes florales tienen un efecto positivo en marcadores de proliferación y migración en queratinocitos. En conclusión aún existen pocos estudios que se enfoquen en la acción molecular de la miel en queratinocitos y los pocos que existen fallan en la entrega de información en relación a la miel utilizada que pueda hacer reproducibles los resultados.

FLI1 gene influences lesion size and skin test may predict therapeutic response in cutaneous leishmaniasis

Genes associated with wound healing have been shown to be risk factors for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) which is caused by Leishmania braziliensis. In this study, we examined whether the genes previously associated with CL influenced the clinical outcome. Patients were genotyped and retrospectively classified as responders, who were cured with a single course of pentavalent antimony (Sbv), or as refractories, who did not respond to Sbv. Patients characterised as responders showed a stronger response to the leishmanin skin test (LST) when compared to the refractory subjects (p = 0.0003). Furthermore, we observed an association between the FLI1 CC genotype and an increased size of ulcers (p = 0.0170). We suggest that the leishmanin skin test may be a predictive tool for therapeutic outcome and reinforce FLI1 as a potential influencer of susceptibility and lesion size in CL.

lncRNA CCAT1 promotes bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion

ABSTRACT Objective: To study the expression patterns of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) colon cancer-associated transcript 1 (CCAT1) and the changes in cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion induced by silencing CCAT1 in bladder cancer cells. Materials and Methods: The expression levels of CCAT1 were determined using realtime quantitative polymerase chain reaction in cancerous tissues and paired normal tissues from 34 patients with bladder cancer. The relationship between clinical characteristics and CCAT1 expression was analyzed. And then we conducted cell experiments. Bladder urothelial carcinoma cell lines T24 and 5637 cells were transfected with CCAT1 small interfering RNA (siRNA) or scramble siRNA. Cell proliferation and apoptosis changes were determined using a Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and a flow cytometry assay. Migration and invasion changes were measured using a wound healing assay and a trans-well assay. microRNAs (miRNAs) were predicted by Starbase 2.0, and their differential expression levels were studied. Results: CCAT1 was significantly upregulated in bladder cancer (P < 0.05). CCAT1 upregulation was positively related to tumor stage (P = 0.004), tumor grade (P = 0.001) and tumor size (P = 0.042). Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were promoted by abnormally expressed CCAT1. miRNAs miR-181b-5p, miR-152-3p, miR-24-3p, miR-148a-3p and miR-490-3p were potentially related to the aforementioned functions of CCAT1. Conclusion: CCAT1 plays an oncogenic role in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. In addition, CCAT1 may be a potential therapeutic target in this cancer.

Keratinocyte growth factor and the expression of wound-healing-related genes in primary human keratinocytes from burn patients

ABSTRACT PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) treatment on the expression of wound-healing-related genes in cultured keratinocytes from burn patients. METHODS: Keratinocytes were cultured and divided into 4 groups (n=4 in each group): TKB (KGF-treated keratinocytes from burn patients), UKB (untreated keratinocytes from burn patients), TKC (KGF-treated keratinocytes from controls), and UKC (untreated keratinocytes from controls). Gene expression analysis using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) array was performed to compare (1) TKC versus UKC, (2) UKB versus UKC, (3) TKB versus UKC, (4) TKB versus UKB, (5) TKB versus TKC, and (6) UKB versus TKC. RESULTS: Comparison 1 showed one down-regulated and one up-regulated gene; comparisons 2 and 3 resulted in the same five down-regulated genes; comparison 4 had no significant difference in relative gene expression; comparison 5 showed 26 down-regulated and 7 up-regulated genes; and comparison 6 showed 25 down-regulated and 11 up-regulated genes. CONCLUSION: There was no differential expression of wound-healing-related genes in cultured primary keratinocytes from burn patients treated with keratinocyte growth factor.

Relative Expression of Indicators for Wound Age Estimation in Forensic Pathology / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#In order to understand which kind of function genes play an important role for estimating wound age, the variation of difference genes' mRNA expression were compared after injury.@*METHODS@#The mRNA expression levels of seven candidate genes (ICAM-1, NF-κB, MX2, MT1, MT2, sTnI, and Cox6c) were analyzed in contused rat skeletal muscle at different time points using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The raw Ct values were normalized relative to that of RPL32 mRNA, and converted to standard Ct values. At each time point after injury, the standard deviations (SD) of the standard Ct values were calculated by SPSS.@*RESULTS@#The expression trends of the seven genes were all found to be related to wound age, but there were lower variation coefficients and greater reliability of s TnI and Cox6c when compared with other genes.@*CONCLUSION@#The genes encoding structural proteins or proteins that perform basic functions can be suitable for wound age estimation.

Innate and adaptive immunity gene expression of human keratinocytes cultured of severe burn injury

PURPOSE: Evaluate the expression profile of genes related to Innate and Adaptive Immune System (IAIS) of human Primary Epidermal keratinocytes (hPEKP) of patients with severe burns. METHODS: After obtaining viable fragments of skin with and without burning, culture hKEP was initiated by the enzymatic method using Dispase (Sigma-Aldrich). These cells were treated with Trizol(r) (Life Technologies) for extraction of total RNA. This was quantified and analyzed for purity for obtaining cDNA for the analysis of gene expression using specific IAIS PCR Arrays plates (SA Biosciences). RESULTS: After the analysis of gene expression we found that 63% of these genes were differentially expressed, of which 77% were repressed and 23% were hyper-regulated. Among these, the following genes (fold increase or decrease): IL8 (41), IL6 (32), TNF (-92), HLA-E (-86), LYS (-74), CCR6 (- 73), CD86 (-41) and HLA-A (-35). CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying wound infection caused by the burn. Furthermore, it may provide new strategies to restore normal expression of these genes and thereby change the healing process and improve clinical outcome. .

DNA Methylation Patterns of Ulcer-Healing Genes Associated with the Normal Gastric Mucosa of Gastric Cancers

Recent evidence suggests that gastric mucosal injury induces adaptive changes in DNA methylation. In this study, the methylation status of the key tissue-specific genes in normal gastric mucosa of healthy individuals and cancer patients was evaluated. The methylation-variable sites of 14 genes, including ulcer-healing genes (TFF1, TFF2, CDH1, and PPARG), were chosen from the CpG-island margins or non-island CpGs near the transcription start sites. The healthy individuals as well as the normal gastric mucosa of 23 ulcer, 21 non-invasive cancer, and 53 cancer patients were examined by semiquantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. The ulcer-healing genes were concurrently methylated with other genes depending on the presence or absence of CpG-islands in the normal mucosa of healthy individuals. Both the TFF2 and PPARG genes were frequently undermethylated in ulcer patients. The over- or intermediate-methylated TFF2 and undermethylated PPARG genes was more common in stage-1 cancer patients (71%) than in healthy individuals (10%; odds ratio [OR], 21.9) and non-invasive cancer patients (21%; OR, 8.9). The TFF2-PPARG methylation pattern of cancer patients was stronger in the older-age group (> or =55 yr; OR, 43.6). These results suggest that the combined methylation pattern of ulcer-healing genes serves as a sensitive marker for predicting cancer-prone gastric mucosa.