title: Activin B promotes epithelial wound healing in vivo through RhoA-JNK signaling pathway.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Activin B has been reported to promote the proliferation and migration of keratinocytes in vitro via the RhoA-JNK signaling pathway, whereas its in vivo role and mechanism in wound healing process has not yet been elucidated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, we explored the potential mechanism by which activin B induces epithelial wound healing in mice. Recombinant lentiviral plasmids, with RhoA (N19) and RhoA (L63) were used to infect wounded KM mice. The wound healing process was monitored after different treatments. Activin B-induced cell proliferation on the wounded skin was visualized by electron microscopy and analyzed by 5'-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation assay. Protein expression of p-JNK or p-cJun was determined by immunohistochemical staining and immunoblotting analysis. Activin B efficiently stimulated the proliferation of keratinocytes and hair follicle cells at the wound area and promoted wound closure. RhoA positively regulated activin B-induced wound healing by up-regulating the expression of p-JNK and p-cJun. Moreover, suppression of RhoA activation delayed activin B-induced wound healing, while JNK inhibition recapitulated phenotypes of RhoA inhibition on wound healing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that activin B promotes epithelial wound closure in vivo through the RhoA-Rock-JNK-cJun signaling pathway, providing novel insight into the essential role of activin B in the therapy of wound repair.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Nu-Yun
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xue-Er
authors.initials: XE
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ying-Hua
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qing-Lin
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kang-Rong
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D028341:Activins / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002465:Cell Movement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D018859:Hair Follicle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D016086:Lentivirus; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D010766:Phosphorylation; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C044147:activin B; D028341:Activins; C515854:Rock1 protein, mouse; D054460:rho-Associated Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein