Development of a wound epithelialization healing model: reducing the impact of contraction healing on the wound surface.

Animal experiments are important in trauma-related studies because they simulate in vivo effects. Rodents are a good choice for preparing trauma models; however, contractile healing in rodents results in a healing pattern that differs considerably from that in humans. Therefore, this study developed a new rodent model that avoids contractile healing of the skin around the wound using an anti-contraction ring, and the skin in the wound's center remains intact and acts as a source for epithelialized diffusion healing. Cell proliferation, migration, revascularization, and collagen secretion did not differ between the novel and conventional full-skin defect trauma models. However, the healing rate at various stages significantly differed between the two groups owing to differences in the healing patterns. And without effective treatment, the experimental group cannot heal. The stabilities of the novel and conventional methods were good regardless of operator or batch. In summary, this new animal trauma model provides a stable experimental environment similar to that in humans, which may promote trauma-related research.

Therapeutic effect of concentrated growth factor preparation on skin photoaging in a mouse model.

OBJECTIVE: To establish a nude mouse model of photoaging and study the therapeutic effect of a concentrated growth factor preparation (CGF) on skin photoaging. METHODS: CGF was prepared from blood from Sprague-Dawley rats. A skin photoaging nude mouse model was developed using UV irradiation combined with the photosensitizer, 8-methoxypsoralen. Mice were divided randomly into seven groups (n = 6 per group): normal control, photoaging, mock treatment, saline treatment, CGF treatment, Filoca 135HA treatment, and plasma skin regeneration system irradiation (the latter two were positive controls). Body weight and skin appearance were observed and pathological changes were determined by hematoxylin and eosin staining. Fiber elasticity was evaluated by Weigert staining. Expression levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) were determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: A mouse model with typical features of photoaging skin was successfully developed. CGF significantly improved the skin appearance, wrinkle scores, pathological changes, and fiber elasticity, and increased PCNA and decreased MMP1 expression levels in photoaging mice, comparable to the two positive controls. CONCLUSION: CGF can improve the symptoms of skin photoaging in mice, suggesting that it may have applications in the treatment of skin aging in humans.

BTX-A Rejuvenation: Regional Botulinum Toxin-A Injection of the Platysma in Patients with Facial Sagging.

OBJECTIVE: To establish botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) rejuvenation as an innovative technique to treat facial sagging with descent of the mid and lower face in Asian females. METHODS: Between March 2016 and March 2017, 512 female patients with facial sagging were treated with regional platysma BTX-A injection. Droplet injection into the dermis was performed. Among the patients, 192 were recruited into our retrospective study. Eligible patients were divided into a pre-senile group (28-39 years old) and a senile group (> 40 years old). We analyzed the patient/physician-graded improvement, the mean scores of the 5-point improvement scale, and any reported complications. RESULTS: The overall degree of both patient- and physician-graded mid-face aesthetic improvement was very high. Improvement ratings reached 97.92% for patients and 94.79% for physicians. Improvement ratings were significantly greater in the pre-senile group compared to the senile group (p < 0.001), suggesting that the pre-senile patients were more satisfied with their improvement. Moreover, the percent of patients who reported as "much improved" was significantly higher than the percent of physicians (p < 0.05), suggesting that patients felt more positively about their aesthetic results than the physicians. No severe side effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that regional BTX-A injection in the dermis for the purpose of aesthetical platysma rejuvenation is safe and effective in patients with facial sagging with descent of the mid and lower face. Specifically, regional platysma injections of BTX-A (BTX-A rejuvenation) can correct descent of the mid and lower face in Asian females, demonstrating clinical utility of this treatment strategy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE V: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Downregulation of microRNA 99a in oral squamous cell carcinomas contributes to the growth and survival of oral cancer cells.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by either translational inhibition or mRNA degradation. miRNAs play pivotal roles in physiological functioning and pathological progression. The function of microRNA-99a (miR-99a) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the roles of miR-99a in OSCC development and the underlying mechanisms in 25 cases of primary OSCC tissues and Tca-8113 cells. The cells were analyzed using FACS analysis and western blotting. Results showed that the expression levels of miR-99a were markedly decreased in OSCC tissues compared with the adjacent non-tumor tissues (n=25). The results of in vitro experiments showed that miR-99a mimics significantly inhibited the proliferation of Tca-8113 cells, a tongue squamous carcinoma cell line, and that miR-99a mimics markedly induced the apoptosis of Tca-8113 cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) was directly targeted by miR-99a, as the overexpression of miR-99a in Tca-8113 cells downregulated the protein expression level of mTOR. Thus, our findings suggest that the downregulation of miR-99a in OSCC tissues is associated with tumor development. miR-99a regulates the growth and survival of OSCC cells and may be exploited as a biomarker and therapeutic target for patients with OSCC.