Centella asiatica is widely considered the most important medicinal plant for treating and relieving skin diseases. Recently developed standardized extract of Centella asiatica ECa 233 has demonstrated positive effects on wound healing of incision and burn wound in rats. However, knowledge associated with wound healing mechanism of ECa 233 was scare. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect and underlying molecular mechanisms of ECa 233 on the migration of a human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) using scratch wound healing assay. Formation of filopodia, a key protein in cell migration as well as signaling pathways possibly involved were subsequently assessed. It was found that HaCaT cell migration was significantly enhanced by ECa 233 in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The filopodia formations were accordingly increased in exposure to ECa 233 at concentrations of 0.1-100 μg/ml. Furthermore, ECa 233 was found to significantly upregulate the expression of Rac1 and RhoA and to induce phosphorylation of FAK and Akt as well as ERK and p38 MAPK. Taken all together, it is suggestive that ECa 233 induces cell migration and subsequently promotes wound healing activity, through the activation of FAK, Akt, and MAPK signaling pathways thereby supporting the role of ECa 233 to be further developed for the clinical treatment of wound.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVESRe-epithelialization has an important role in skin wound healing. Astaxanthin (ASX), a carotenoid found in crustaceans including shrimp, crab, and salmon, has been widely used for skin protection. Therefore, we investigated the effects of ASX on proliferation and migration of human skin keratinocyte cells and explored the mechanism associated with that migration.MATERIAL/METHODHaCaT keratinocyte cells were exposed to 0.25-1 µg/mL of ASX. Proliferation of keratinocytes was analyzed by using MTT assays and flow cytometry. Keratinocyte migration was determined by using a scratch wound-healing assay. A mechanism for regulation of migration was explored via immunocytochemistry and western blot analysis.RESULTSOur results suggest that ASX produces no significant toxicity in human keratinocyte cells. Cell-cycle analysis on ASX-treated keratinocytes demonstrated a significant increase in keratinocyte cell proliferation at the S phase. In addition, ASX increased keratinocyte motility across the wound space in a time-dependent manner. The mechanism by which ASX increased keratinocyte migration was associated with induction of filopodia and formation of lamellipodia, as well as with increased Cdc42 and Rac1 activation and decreased RhoA activation.CONCLUSIONSASX stimulates the migration of keratinocytes through Cdc42, Rac1 activation and RhoA inhibition. ASX has a positive role in the re-epithelialization of wounds. Our results may encourage further in vivo and clinical study into the development of ASX as a potential agent for wound repair.