Effect and mechanism of curcumin on skin wound healing and angiogenesis in rats / 中国医师杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the effect of curcumin on skin wound healing and angiogenesis in rats and its possible mechanism.Methods:Rats with full-thickness dermal defect were prepared and randomly divided into model group, low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups of curcumin, with 10 rats in each group. Curcumin was injected intraperitoneally. The low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups of curcumin were given 5, 15, 45 mg/(kg·d) curcumin respectively. The rats in the model group were injected intraperitoneally with 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose for 14 days. The wound healing rate of rats in each group was measured; The wound tissue was stained with haematoxylin and eosin staining, Masson and immunohistochemistry; The levels of angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the wound tissue of rats in each group were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); The relative expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) mRNA in wound tissue was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR); Western blot was used to detect the expression of VEGFA, VEGFR-2, Notch1, Jagged1, Hes1 protein in the wound tissue.Results:The wound healing rate, the vascular density and the level of Ang-1 and bFGF, the mRNA of VEGFA and VEGFR-2, the relative expression of Notch1, Jagged1, Hes1, VEGFA and VEGFR-2 protein in wound tissue of rats in low, medium and high dose groups of curcumin were higher than those in the model group (all P<0.05). Histological staining results showed that the reepithelialization of the wound tissue was not obvious in the model group, with severe infiltration of inflammatory cells and less collagen deposition; the reepithelialization of the wound tissue in the low-dose, medium-dose and high-dose groups of curcumin was gradually obvious, with thickened epidermis, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and increased collagen deposition. The effect of curcumin on skin wounds in rats was enhanced in a dose-dependent manner (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Curcumin could promote wound healing and angiogenesis in rats, and its mechanism may be related to the activation of Notch signaling pathway.