title: Substance P combined with epidermal stem cells promotes wound healing and nerve regeneration in diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Exogenous substance P accelerates wound healing in diabetes, but the mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we established a rat model by intraperitoneally injecting streptozotocin. Four wounds (1.8 cm diameter) were drilled using a self-made punch onto the back, bilateral to the vertebral column, and then treated using amniotic membrane with epidermal stem cells and/or substance P around and in the middle of the wounds. With the combined treatment the wound-healing rate was 100% at 14 days. With prolonged time, type I collagen content gradually increased, yet type III collagen content gradually diminished. Abundant protein gene product 9.5- and substance P-immunoreactive nerve fibers regenerated. Partial nerve fiber endings extended to the epidermis. The therapeutic effects of combined substance P and epidermal stem cells were better than with amniotic membrane and either factor alone. Our results suggest that the combination of substance P and epidermal stem cells effectively contributes to nerve regeneration and wound healing in diabetic rats.
authors.affiliation: Burns Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China; Department of Burns, Huizhou Central People's Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Fei-Bin
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Burns, Huizhou Central People's Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Jing
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.affiliation: Burns Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
authors.forename: De-Wu
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6617-8715
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Burns, Huizhou Central People's Hospital, Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Burns Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Burns Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Burns Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Ling
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Burns Institute, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Tie
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, China.
authors.forename: De-Ming
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: collagen; diabetes; epidermal stem cells; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; sensory nerve; substance P; wound healing