Improvement of hypertrophic scarring by using topical anti-fibrogenic/anti-inflammatory factors in a rabbit ear model.

This study investigates the scar-reducing efficacy of topical application of stratifin and acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in a rabbit ear model. A total of five New Zealand white rabbits with four wounds per ear were examined. Either recombinant stratifin (0.002%) or ASA (0.5%) incorporated in carboxymethyl cellulose gel was topically applied on each wound at postwounding Day 5. Scars were harvested at postwounding Day 28 for histological analysis. The wounds treated with stratifin and ASA showed 82 and 73% reduction in scar volume, respectively, compared with that of untreated controls. A reduction of 57 and 41% in total tissue cellularity along with 79 and 91% reduction in infiltrated CD3+ T cells were observed in response to treatment with stratifin and ASA, respectively, compared with those of untreated controls. Wounds treated with stratifin showed a 2.8-fold increase in matrix metalloproteinase-1 expression, which resulted in a 48% decrease in collagen density compared with those of untreated controls. Qualitative wound assessment showed a reduced hypertrophic scarring in stratifin and ASA-treated wounds when compared with the controls. This study showed that topical application of either stratifin or ASA-impregnated carboxymethyl cellulose gel reduced hypertrophic scar formation following dermal injuries in a rabbit ear fibrotic model.

[The basics of 14-3-3 protein family and research progress on therapeutic applications of 14-3-3 protein].

The 14-3-3 proteins comprise a family of highly conserved acidic protein with subunit molecular mass 28-33kD and are widely found in different eukaryotic cells. 14-3-3 proteins were the first polypeptides shown to have phosphoserine/threonine (pSer/Thr) binding properties which firmly established its importance in cell signaling. 14-3-3 proteins tend to form dimeric proteins to modulate protein-protein interactions. 14-3-3 proteins have been shown to contribute to the regulation of such crucial cellular processes as metabolism, signal transduction, cell cycle control, cell growth and differentiation, apotosis, protein trafficking, transcription, stress responses and malignant transformation. Many reports link 14-3-3 to disorders, particularly the neurological disorders and cancer. The 14-3-3 test has been used for the diagnosis of prion diseases. 14-3-3 could be exploited for therapeutic purposes. In this review, we discuss the structure, function of 14-3-3 protein and the related research progress in therapeutic applications.