Skin wound healing is a principal clinical challenge, and it is necessary to develop effective alternative treatments. Excessive inflammatory response is linked to delayed healing. This study was the first to report a multi-functional chitosan/sodium alginate/velvet antler blood peptides (VBPs) hydrogel (CAVBPH) and explore its potential mechanism to promote wound healing. The results showed that CAVBPH possessed desirable characteristics including thermo-sensitivity, antioxidation, antibacterial activity, biosafety, VBPs release behavior, etc., and significantly accelerated skin wound healing in mice. Specifically, the CAVBPH treatment enhanced cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion, and also relieved inflammation at the wound site compared to the PBS-treated group and blank hydrogel scaffold-treated group. Mechanistically, the efficacy of CAVBPH might be related to the activation of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and SIRT1/NF-κB pathways. Overall, CAVBPH seems to be a promising therapy for skin repair, probably relying on the abundant short-chain peptides in VBPs.
Background
Diabetic ulcer remains a clinical challenge due to impaired angiogenesis and persistent inflammation, requiring new alternative therapies to promote tissue regeneration.
Purpose
In this study, chitosan/sodium alginate/velvet antler blood peptides (CS/SA/VBPs) hydrogel (CAVBPH) was fabricated and used in the treatment of skin wounds in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) for the first time.
Methods
VBPs were prepared by hydrolysis and ultrafiltration, and their sequences were identified using LC-MS/MS. The CAVBPH was further fabricated and characterized. A mouse model of T2D was induced by a high-sugar and high-fat diet (HSFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) injection. CAVBPH was applied topically to T2D wounds, and its effects on skin repair and potential biological mechanisms were analyzed by appearance observation, histopathological staining, bioinformatics analysis, Western blot, and 16S rRNA sequencing.
Results
VBPs had numerous short-chain active peptides, excellent antioxidant activity, and a low hemolysis rate. CAVBPH exhibited desirable biochemical properties and participated in the diabetic wound healing process by promoting cell proliferation (PCNA and α-SMA) and angiogenesis (capillaries and CD31) and alleviating inflammation (CD68). Mechanistically, the therapeutic effect of CAVBPH on chronic wounds might rely on activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR/HIF-1α/VEGFA pathway and reversing the expression of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β. The results of 16S rRNA sequencing indicated that T2D significantly altered the diversity and structure of skin flora at the wound site. CAVBPH treatment elevated the relative abundance of beneficial microbes (e.g.,
Corynebacterium_1
and
Lactobacillus
) and reversed the structural imbalance of skin microbiota.
Conclusion
These results indicate that CAVBPH is a promising wound dressing, and its repair effect on diabetic wounds by regulating angiogenesis, inflammatory response, and skin flora may depend on the rich small peptides in VBPs.
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