Electrical stimulation (ES) has long been used as an alternative clinical treatment and an effective approach to modulate cellular behaviours. In this work we investigated the effects of ES on human skin fibroblast activity, myofibroblast transdifferentiation and the consequence on wound healing. Normal human fibroblasts were seeded on heparin-bioactivated PPy/PLLA conductive membranes, cultured for 24 h, and then exposed to ES of 50 or 200 mV/mm for 2, 4, or 6 h. Following ES, the cells were either subjected to various analyses or re-seeded to investigate their healing capacity. Our findings show that ES had no cytotoxic effect on the fibroblasts, as demonstrated by the similar LDH activity levels in the ES-exposed and non-exposed cultures, and by the comparable cell viability under both conditions. Furthermore, the number of viable fibroblasts was higher following exposure to 6 h of ES than in the non-exposed culture. This enhanced cell growth was likely due to the ES up-regulated secretion of FGF-1 and FGF-2. In an in vitro scratch-wound assay where cell monolayer was used as a healing model, the electrically stimulated dermal fibroblasts migrated faster following exposure to ES and recorded a high contractile behaviour toward the collagen gel matrix. This enhanced contraction was supported by the high level of α-smooth muscle actin expressed by the fibroblasts following exposure to ES, indicating the characteristics of myofibroblasts. Remarkably, the modulation of fibroblast growth continued long after ES. In conclusion, this work demonstrates for the first time that exposure to ES promoted skin fibroblast growth and migration, increased growth factor secretion, and promoted fibroblast to myofibroblast transdifferentiation, thus promoting wound healing.

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease, and it is suspected that atherosclerotic mechanisms are involved in the development of this disorder. Therefore, the retention of lipids within the aortic valve may play a role in the pathobiology of AS. In this study, a gene expression microarray experiment was conducted on human aortic valves with and without AS. The expression levels of transcripts encoding proteoglycans and enzymes involved in lipid retention were compared between the two groups. The microarray results were subsequently replicated in a cohort of 87 AS valves and 36 control valves. In addition, the interaction between proteoglycan and lipid-modifying enzyme was documented in isolated valve interstitial cells (VICs). The microarray results indicated that only biglycan (BGN) and phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) were overexpressed in the AS valves. These results were then confirmed by quantitative PCR. The immunohistochemical analysis revealed a colocalization of BGN, PLTP, and Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR 2) in AS valves. In vitro, we showed that BGN induces the production of PLTP in VICs via the stimulation of TLR 2. Thus , increased accumulation of BGN in AS valves contributes to the production of PLTP via TLR 2. These results suggest that intricate links between valve matrix proteins , inflammation , and lipid retention are involved in the pathobiology

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