Topical application of ALK5 inhibitor A-83-01 reduces burn wound contraction in rats by suppressing myofibroblast population

Abstract

Burn scar contracture that follows the healing of deep dermal burns causes severe deformation and functional impairment. However, its current therapeutic interventions are limited with unsatisfactory outcomes. When we treated deep second-degree burns in rat skin with activin-like kinase 5 (ALK5) inhibitor A-83-01, it reduced wound contraction and enhanced the area of re-epithelialization so that the overall time for wound closing was not altered. In addition, it reduced myofibroblast population in the dermis of burn scar with a diminished deposition of its biomarker proteins such as α-SMA and collagen. Treatment of rat dermal fibroblast with A-83-01 inhibited transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-dependent induction of α-SMA and collagen type I. Taken together, these results suggest that topical application of ALK5 inhibitor A-83-01 could be effective in preventing the contraction of burn wound without delaying the wound closure by virtue of its inhibitory activity against the TGF-β-induced increase of myofibroblast population.

Activin A in Inflammation, Tissue Repair, and Fibrosis: Possible Role as Inflammatory and Fibrotic Mediator of Uterine Fibroid Development and Growth

“…71 Recently, it has been demonstrated that activin-like kinase 5 (ALK5) inhibitor reduces burn wound contraction in rats by suppressing myofibroblast population. 72 Activin A and follistatin expression have also been investigated in different phases of scar evolution in humans. 73,74 Immunostaining of active phase of hypertrophic scars showed that activin A is expressed by myofibroblasts and dendritic cells.…”