RESUMO
SIGNIFICANCE: In China, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used for thousands of years for various acute and chronic wound care. Thus, there is a growing need to explore the possible benefits of TCM on wound healing. RECENT ADVANCES: Nowadays, in China and some Asian countries including Korea, Japan, and Singapore, Chinese herbal therapy is used as an alternative treatment in wound care. Therefore, exploration of the possible benefits of TCM on wound healing is necessary. CRITICAL ISSUES: Development of TCM is based on the concept of Yin (negative phenomenon of nature) and Yang (positive phenomenon of nature). These opposing and complementary natural phenomena of the universe restore the normal physiological functions, consequently curing diseases and restoring health of a patient. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: Due to lack of evidence-based research, TCM treatments are not widely accepted in the western world. Using state-of-the-art technology such as proteomics, bioinformatics, and biomolecular techniques, research studies may lead to more effective remedies for wound care in the future.
RESUMO
Lithospermi Radix (LR) is an effective traditional Chinese herb in various types of wound healing; however, its mechanism of action remains unknown. A biochemical and proteomic platform was generated to explore the biological phenomena associated with LR and its active component shikonin. We found that both LR ethanol extracts and shikonin are able to promote cell proliferation by up to 25%. The results of proteomic analysis revealed that twenty-two differentially expressed proteins could be identified when fibroblast cells were treated with LR or shikonin. The functions of those proteins are associated with antioxidant activity, antiapoptosis activity, the regulation of cell mobility, the secretion of collagen, the removal of abnormal proteins, and the promotion of cell proliferation, indicating that the efficacy of LR in wound healing may be derived from a synergistic effect on a number of factors induced by the herbal medicine. Furthermore, an animal model confirmed that LR is able to accelerate wound healing on the flank back of the SD rats. Together these findings help to pinpoint the molecular basis of wound healing process induced by LR.
RESUMO
Angelica sinensis (AS) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine that has been formulated clinically to treat various form of skin trauma and to help wound healing. However, the mechanism by which it works remains a mystery. In this study we have established a new platform to evaluate the pharmacological effects of total AS herbal extracts as well as its major active component, ferulic acid (FA), using proteomic and biochemical analysis. Cytotoxic and proliferation-promoting concentrations of AS ethanol extracts (AS extract) and FA were tested, and then the cell extracts were subject to 2D PAGE analysis. We found 51 differentially expressed protein spots, and these were identified by mass spectrometry. Furthermore, biomolecular assays, involving collagen secretion, migration, and ROS measurements, gave results that are consistent with the proteomic analysis. In this work, we have demonstrated a whole range of pharmacological effects associated with Angelica sinensis that might be beneficial when developing a wound healing pharmaceutical formulation for the herbal medicine.
