miR-758-3p/ILK signaling modulated angiogenesis by regulating VEGFA in wound healing.

Chronic wounds cause physical, psychological and economic damage to patients, while therapeutic choices are limited. ILK was reported to play key roles in both fibrosis and angiogenesis, which are two important factors during wound healing. However, the function of ILK during vascularization in wounds remains unclear. In our study, we found increased ILK expression in chronic wound tissues compared to adjacent tissue, as well as a positive relationship between ILK expression and microvessel density. Moreover, fibroblasts overexpressing ILK showed an enhanced ability to promote HUVEC migration and tube formation, during which PI3K/Akt, downstream of ILK, played key roles and VEGFA was the key cytokine. Considering the important function of ILK in wound healing and the lack of an ILK activator, we investigated microRNAs targeting ILK and found that miR-758-3p could target ILK to regulate its transcription. The inhibition of miR-758-3p increased ILK expression and sequentially upregulated VEGFA and activated angiogenesis in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, these results revealed that ILK played a key role in wound healing by regulating angiogenesis and that activating ILK by inhibiting miR-758-3p was an effective way to promote wound healing. Whether miR-758-3p/ILK signaling can be utilized as a therapeutic target for wound healing requires further investigation.

Application Effect of Silver-Containing Dressings in the Repair of Chronic Refractory Wounds.

Chronic refractory wounds have complicated pathogenesis, repeatedly prolonged course of disease, high difficulty in cure, and may even endanger life due to the spread of wound infection. Silver ion dressing is a new type of dressing applied clinically in recent years. It can prevent infection and promote wound healing by releasing a low level of active silver ions into wound fluid or secretion. Some scholars have found that silver ion dressings can promote the healing of refractory wounds. In this study, 80 cases of chronic refractory wounds treated in our department from June 2019 to January 2022 were selected as the research subjects and the effect of silver ion dressing coverage on the repair of chronic refractory wounds after debridement was explored.

Modified Buried Vertical Mattress Suture Versus Buried Intradermal Suture: A Prospective Split-Scar Study.

BACKGROUND: The modified buried vertical mattress suture (MBVMS) is believed to provide excellent outcomes by relieving the tension on wound edges. However, clinical data on the topic remain sparse and inadequate. OBJECTIVE: To compare the cosmetic results of the MBVMS and the buried intradermal suture (BIS) in chest wounds using a split-scar model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty patients participated in the study. One randomly selected half of each chest wound was closed with the MBVMS; the other half was closed with the BIS. Immediately, postoperatively, the maximum degree of wound eversion was obtained. After 3 months, the wound complication rates were recorded, and the aesthetic appearance of each scar was evaluated by the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS), the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS), the visual analog scale (VAS), and scar width. RESULTS: The MBVMS yielded a greater mean postoperative eversion height and width (p < .05); lower POSAS, VSS, and VAS scores (p < .05); and a narrower scar width (p < .05) than did the BIS. CONCLUSION: Compared with the BIS, the MBVMS provided significantly increased wound eversion immediately, postoperatively, and improved aesthetic outcomes at the end of the 3-month follow-up period.

MiR-152-3p regulates cell proliferation, invasion and extracellular matrix expression through by targeting FOXF1 in keloid fibroblasts.

Emerging evidence has revealed that microRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in keloid pathogenesis. However, potential molecular mechanism of keloid formation remains unclear. In the present study, our findings showed that miR-152-3p mRNA expression level was notably up-regulated in keloid tissues and keloid fibroblasts compared with that of normal skin tissues and normal skin fibroblasts, respectively. Furthermore, miR-152-3p inhibition remarkably suppressed cell proliferation, which was increased by miR-152-3p overexpression. Cell invasion was also significantly decreased by miR-152-3p inhibition, whereas was increased by miR-152-3p overexpression. The mRNA and protein expression levels of extracellular matrix components including type I collagen, type III collagen and fibronectin were decreased by miR-152-3p inhibition, but were increased by miR-152-3p overexpression. In addition, results of dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that FOXF1 is a direct target of miR-152-3p. FOXF1 overexpression significantly inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and extracellular matrix in keloid fibroblasts, and the suppressive effects of miR-152-3p mimic on these functions were notably partly reversed by FOXF1 overexpression. Taken together, these findings indicated that miR-152-3p regulates cell proliferation, invasion and extracellular matrix expression through targeting FOXF1 in keloid fibroblasts, suggesting that miR-152-3p is a novel and promising molecular target for keloid treatment.

Different suturing techniques in thoracic incision: protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Based on the principles of the ideal skin closure technique, we previously described a suture technique (wedge-shaped excision and modified buried vertical mattress suture (WE-MBVMS)) that could provide excellent outcomes for the most demanding surfaces. However, adequate clinical comparative evidence supporting improved outcomes is lacking. Thus, the purpose of this protocol is to establish the feasibility of conducting a fully randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing the clinical effectiveness of WE-MBVMS with a buried intradermal suture (BIS) in closing thoracic incision. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is a feasibility RCT of WE-MBVMS and BIS in patients undergoing surgery for costal cartilage harvesting. Seventy-eight participants are expected to participate in the study and will be randomised in a ratio of 1:1 to WE-MBVMS or BIS. Trial feasibility will be assessed by the number of participants assessed for eligibility, recruitment rates, reasons for ineligibility or non-participation, time for interventions, withdrawal and retention at all follow-up points (3, 6 and 12 months), follow-up rates and reasons for withdrawing from the trial. In addition, clinical data regarding the cosmetic results of scars will be collected to inform the sample size for a fully powered RCT. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University Institutional Review Board (XJTU1AF2017LSK-120). The findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR-INR-17013335; Pre-results.