Inhibition of TGFß1/Smad pathway by NF-κB induces inflammation leading to poor wound healing in high glucose.

This study mainly analyzed the relationship between nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and transforming growth factor-ß (TGFß1)/Smad under high glucose environment and its influence on wound healing. Fibroblast NIH-3T3 was used to analyze the effect of high concentration glucose (20 nmol/mL) on cell viability, migration ability, inflammation level and NF-κB pathway. Pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC) was used to inhibit NF-κB for rescue experiments. Diabetic mice were used to construct wound healing models. Recombinant TGF-ß1 was used to promote wound healing in diabetic mice. FSL-1 was applied to activate NF-κB to verify the mechanism. High glucose inhibited cell viability and migration ability, promoted the expression of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß, induced the activation of NF-κB pathway in fibroblasts. Inhibition of NF-κB not only blocked the decrease in cell viability and migration ability induced by high glucose, but also relieved the release of inflammatory factors. TGF-ß1 activated the TGF-ß1/Smad pathway and promoted wound healing in diabetic mice. Activating the NF-κB pathway not only inhibited the activation of the TGF-ß1/Smad pathway, but also alleviated the promoting effect of TGF-ß1 on wound healing. In a high glucose environment, the activation of NF-κB may inhibit the function of fibroblasts by inhibiting the TGF-ß1/Smad pathway, resulting in poor wound healing.

Comparison of the Effects of Open Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgery on the Achilles Tendon Rupture Healing Based on Angiogenesis.

Objective: To compare the effect of three different surgical methods on rabbit Achilles tendon rupture. Methods: The Achilles tendon transection model was constructed by cutting off the inner half of the Achilles tendon. Rabbits were divided into 4 groups: model group, open surgery (OS) group, minimally invasive surgery (MS) group, and conservative treatment (CT) group. Biomechanical evaluation, H&E, and Picrosirius Red staining were applied to evaluate the histological changes and healing. RT-qPCR, Western blot, ELISA, and IHC staining were used to detect the expression of COLIII, IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, CD31, VEGF, bFGF, and TGF-ß1. Results: Different surgery treatments significantly alleviated the histological changes in rabbits. The tension and elasticity of the Achilles tendon were significantly increased after surgery. In addition, surgery treatments notably alleviated the inflammatory responses in vivo via downregulation of IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-6 and promoted the tube formation in tissues through upregulating VEGF, bFGF, TGF-ß1, and CD31. Furthermore, MS exhibited best therapeutic efficiency on Achilles tendon rupture healing, compared with OS or CT. Conclusions: Our research revealed the superiority of MS in Achilles tendon rupture treatment at the molecular level compared with OS or CT.

MiR-192-5p Alleviated Fibrosis and Inflammatory Responses of Tendon Cells by Targeting NFAT5.

Objective: To explore the effect of microRNA (miR)-192-5p on the inflammatory and fibrotic responses of tendon cells. Methods: Tendon cells were treated with transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1). The expression of miR-192-5p and nuclear factor of activated T cells 5 (NFAT5) in tendon cells were detected by RT-qPCR. The expressions of inflammatory and fibrosis-related factors were detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot. MiR-192-5p binds to NFAT5 targeting by TargetScan and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The expression of the NFAT5 gene was detected by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Detection of apoptosis in tendon cells by flow cytometry. Results: MiR-192-5p was downregulated in tendon cells, and the expression level gradually decreased with the prolong of TGF-ß1 treatment. The expression of NFAT5 increased with the treatment time of TGF-ß1. The expression of miR-192-5p decreased collagen III (COLIII), α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), matrix metalloproteinase- (MMP-) 1, and MMP-8 expression, thereby inhibiting TGF-ß1-induced fibrosis in tendon cells. The expression of miR-192-5p decreased the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1ß, thereby alleviating TGF-ß1-induced inflammatory response and reduce apoptosis in tendon cells. NFAT5 is a direct target of miR-192-5p in tendon cells. The upregulation of NFAT5 reversed the effect of miR-192-5p on the fibrotic activity and inflammatory response of TGF-ß1-stimulated tendon cells. Conclusions: MiR-192-5p alleviates fibrosis and inflammatory responses of tendon cells by targeting NFAT5.