title: Topical embryonic stem cells enhance wound healing in diabetic rats.
abstract: The effects of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) on diabetic wound healing were investigated using an excisional skin wound model in 110 diabetes-induced rats. We transplanted a clonal population of ESCs (5 × 10(6)) by topical injection into full thickness skin wounds. Four study groups were used; nondiabetic rats as a control, non-insulin controlled diabetic rats not treated with ESCs, insulin controlled diabetic rats not treated with ESCs, and insulin controlled diabetic rats treated with ESCs. Five rats in each experimental group were sacrificed on days 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 after wounding. Wounds images were acquired daily and wound sizes were calculated. We measured the mRNA levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and fibronectin levels in extracellular matrix, and assessed wound healing by assessing histological parameters of epidermal regeneration, granulation tissue thickness, and angiogenesis. In the ESC-treated group, wound sizes were significantly smaller than in the insulin controlled diabetic group not treated with ESCs on days 5 and 10 (p < 0.05), and EGF and VEGF levels were markedly higher on days 5 and 10, fibronectin levels on day 5 after injection. All histological scores in the ESC-treated group were significantly higher than those of the insulin controlled diabetic group on day 5 (p < 0.05). Our results shows that topical ESCs enhance diabetic wound healing during the early stage, and suggest that ESCs transplantation offers a novel therapeutic modality for the treatment of diabetic wounds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hospital, Gwangju 501-746, Republic of Korea. kbleeos@chonnam.ac.kr
authors.forename: Keun-Bae
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Seong-Beom
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jae-Yoon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Eun-Sun
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Nack-Sung
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ho-Jae
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000637:transplantation*; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D006097:Granulation Tissue; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D003404:Creatinine; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D005353:Fibronectins; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467498:vascular endothelial growth factor A, rat