title: The N-butyl alcohol extract from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. flowers enhances healing potential on rat excisional wounds.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. (HRS), a folk medicine named Zhujin in China, possess anti-tumor, antioxidant, antibacterial, low density lipoprotein oxidation prevention and macrophage death prevention effects. The leaves and red flowers of HRS have been traditionally used to treat with furuncle and ulceration.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficacy and possible mechanism of the N-butyl alcohol extract of HRS (NHRS) red flowers in wound healing by analyzing the collagen fiber deposition, angiogenic activity and macrophages action of the NHRS.
  
  
  METHODS
  In an excisional wound healing model in rats, different concentrations of NHRS, or recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (rbFGF), were respectively applied twice daily for 9 days. Histopathology was assessed on day 9 via hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson's trichrome (MT) staining, and immunohistochemistry for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and CD68. Immunomodulation by NHRS was evaluated by a carbon clearance test in mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wound healing post-surgery was greater in the rbFGF-control, NHRS-M and MHRS-H groups than in the model and 5% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO)-control groups after the third day. By the sixth day the wound contraction of NHRS-M and MHRS-H groups was much higher than the rbFGF-control group. HE and MT staining revealed that epithelialization, fibroblast distribution, collagen deposition of NHRS-M- and NHRS-H-control groups were significantly higher than the model group. Moreover, immunohistochemistry showed more intense staining of VEGF, TGF-β1 and CD68 in the rbFGF- and NHRS-control groups, compared to that in model and 5% DMSO-control groups. The clearance and phagocytic indices of NHRS-M- and NHRS-H-control groups were significantly higher than that of the carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) group in mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NHRS accelerates wound repair via enhancing the macrophages activity, accelerating angiogenesis and collagen fiber deposition response mediated by VEGF and TGF-β1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hui-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chun
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ji-Yang
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wen-Feng
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Hang
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: ggshi@stu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Gang-Gang
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D020001:1-Butanol / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000378:metabolism; D002417:Cattle; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D035264:Flowers; D031584:Hibiscus / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
chemical_list: D020001:1-Butanol; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D003094:Collagen; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D010936:Plant Extracts; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C067980:CD68 antigen, human; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
keywords: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.; Macrophage; Transforming growth factor-β1; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Wound healing