Background:Among the most important factors in wound healing pathways are transforming growth factor beta1 and vascular endothelial growth factor. Fibroblasts are the main cell in all phases wound closure. In this study, the extracts of plant materials such as Adiantum capillus-veneris, Commiphora molmol, Aloe vera, and henna and one mixture of them were used to treatment of normal mouse skin fibroblasts.Methods:Cytotoxic effects of each extract and their mixture were assessed on mouse skin fibroblasts cells using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. We performed migration assays to assess migration properties of mouse skin fibroblasts cells in response to the extracts. Changes in the gene expression of the Tgfβ1 and Vegf-A genes were monitored by real-time polymerase chain reaction.Results:A. capillus-veneris, C. molmol and henna extract improved the expression of Tgfβ1 gene. All used extracts upregulated the expression of Vegf-A gene and promoted the migration of mouse fibroblast cells in vitro.Conclusions:The present study demonstrated that the mentioned herbal extracts might be effective in wound healing, through the improvement in the migration of fibroblast cells and regulating the gene expression of Tgfβ1 and Vegf-A genes in fibroblast cells treated with extracts.

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Background: Phenytoin is one of the most important chemical drugs used for the treatment of skin wound. Objectives: In the present study, the molecular effect of phenytoin on the expression of VEGF and TGF-β genes was investigated. Methods: This study was conducted on 30 male rats with approximately equal body mass. Skin wounds were generated with an area of 2 cm and a depth of 0.5 mm on the back of the necks. The rats were divided into two case and control groups (15 rats in each group). Topical phenytoin was administered to the two groups 2 times a day (1%) and Vaseline (as control group). Each of control and treated groups were divided into three subgroups and the rats were euthanized with chloroform on days 7, 14, and 21 of post-wounding. The wounds were harvested from control and treated rats. After homogenization of the tissues, RNA was extracted, purified, converted to cDNA, and the relative expression of VEGF and TGF-β genes in phenytoin and control groups was evaluated by real-time PCR. The gene expression was evaluated on days 7, 14, and 21. Results: Increased expression of VEGF and TGF-β in the first week and decreased expression of both genes in the third week were observed in the phenytoin-treated group compared with the control group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Regarding the results of the expression of both TGF-β and VEGF genes, there is a significant relationship between the expression of these two genes and the rate of wound healing in rats.

BackgroundWound healing is often impaired in diabetic animals and humans. Matrix metalloproteases act as pro-inflammatory agents in physiological wound healing pathways by stimulating cytokines including the interleukins, IL6, IL1A and IL1B, and the tumor necrosis factor and transforming growth factor beta1. Botanicals are traditionally used to assist healing of different types of wounds, because they produce fewer side effects. Our specific aim here was to develop a plant-based recipe supporting effective wound healing in diabetic animals.MethodsPlant materials from Adiantum capillus-veneris, Commiphora molmol, Aloe Vera, and henna were collected for this study, and oven-dried at 60 °C. The dried leaves and resins were then crumbled into a powder and mixed in equal parts with Vaseline as a preservative. This mixture was used as an ointment on wounds induced in 60 diabetic and non-diabetic rats that were divided into 6 subgroups receiving agent or control treatments. Necrotic tissue surrounding the wound was periodically removed during wound healing. RNA was extracted from the healing region of the wound at days 7, 14 and 21 for cDNA synthesis to monitor changes in Tgfb1, Mmp3, Mmp9, Il6 and Tnf α expression using real-time PCR.ResultsThe expression of the Mmp3, the Tnf α, and the Tgfb1 genes from wound tissue were significantly different (p < 0.05) between diabetic and non-diabetic (control) rats treated with the herbal mixture after 14 and 21 days. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) of the Mmp9 gene expression in diabetic and non-diabetic rats treated only with Vaseline after 7, 14, and 21 days. But, the expression of the Mmp9 gene decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in diabetic rats after 14 days in comparison to non-diabetic rats, when the herbal mixture was added to Vaseline.ConclusionsOur study presents an herbal treatment that alters the gene expression signature at wounds induced in the rat model for type I diabetes in a manner consistent with accelerated healing, and demonstrates that this herbal treatment might be effective to treat wounds in diabetic patients.

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