Wound healing effects of Asparagus lucidus Lindl extract through the phosphorylation of ERK1/2

Abstract

Background Skin is the outermost part of the human body and is essential in maintaining body homeostasis. In the event of skin injury, rapid wound repair is crucial to protect the body. In this study, we investigated the wound-healing properties of Asparagus lucidus Lindl extract by promoting keratinocyte proliferation. Methods To evaluate the effect of Asparagus lucidus Lindl extract on skin regeneration, the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay was used to measure keratinocyte proliferation, while an in vitro wound-healing assay was performed to evaluate wound closure through keratinocyte re-epithelialization. The intracellular mechanisms of the extract were studied using Western blot analysis to measure the phosphorylated forms of mitogen-activated protein kinases and protein kinase B. The mRNA expression of cell cycle-related genes was analyzed using quantitative real time-PCR analysis. A murine in vivo wound-healing assay was also conducted to observe the effect of the extract on wound closure. Results Asparagus lucidus Lindl extract induced 131.15% keratinocyte proliferation compared to the control in the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. The in vitro wound-healing assay showed that the extract improved wound closure by 216.94% through keratinocyte re-epithelialization. Western blot analysis revealed that the phosphorylated form of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 was increased by extract treatment. Quantitative real time-PCR analysis showed a dose-dependent increase in the mRNA expression of c-fos, c-jun, and VEGF. The in vivo wound-healing assay showed a significant increase (22.13%) of wound closure compared to the control on day 5. Conclusion Asparagus lucidus Lindl extract promotes keratinocyte proliferation by activating the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 pathway and up-regulating the mRNA expression of c-fos, c-jun, and vascular endothelial growth factor.