title: The alphavbeta6 integrin plays a role in compromised epidermal wound healing.
abstract: The alphavbeta6 integrin is an exclusively epithelial integrin that is highly expressed during fetal development. In adult tissue, alphavbeta6 integrin is expressed during inflammation, carcinogenesis, and in wound healing. We previously reported that alphavbeta6 integrin is highly expressed in poorly healing human wounds and its over-expression is associated with chronic wounds in a mouse model. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of alphavbeta6 integrin in compromised wound healing induced by hydrocortisone treatment or aging by using young and old mice deficient in or overexpressing the beta6 integrin subunit in the epidermis. Untreated aged beta6 integrin-deficient (beta6-/-) animals showed a significant delay in wound healing when compared to their age-matched controls or younger beta6-/- mice. The most significant delay was observed at the stages where granulation tissue deposition was occurring. Hydrocortisone treatment significantly delayed wound healing in wild-type and beta6 integrin-deficient mice in comparison with the untreated controls. However, hydrocortisone treatment in beta6 integrin overexpressing animals did not cause a significant delay in wound healing. The results of this study suggest that alphavbeta6 integrin plays an important role in wound healing in animals compromised by either age or stress mimicked by hydrocortisone.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Periodontal Biology, Department of Oral Biological and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
authors.forename: Salwa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: AlDahlawi
authors.forename: Ameneh
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eslami
authors.forename: Lari
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Häkkinen
authors.forename: Hannu S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Larjava
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000378:metabolism; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016023:Integrins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D024141:Collagen Type IV; D016023:Integrins; C073878:integrin alphavbeta6; C007133:hydrocortisone hemisuccinate; D006854:Hydrocortisone