Effect of Yuhong ointment on the proliferation and differentiation of epidermal stem cells during rat wound healing

Kong Huan-yu; Kong Fan-fei; Huang Qing-yi; Li Li; Yang Li-ping; Zhu Jia

doi:10.3321/j.issn:1673-8225.2007.46.013

Abstract：BACKGROUND: Epidermal stem cells (ESCs) are of importance in the wound repair. Explaining the mechanism that Chinese herb speeds up the regeneration of injured skin from the angle of inducing stem cells deserves to be studied. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Yuhong ointment on the proliferation and differentiation of ESCs during rat wound healing. DESIGN: A randomized controlled animal experiment. SETTING: Department of Pharmacology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. MATERIALS: This study was carried out in the Department of Pharmacology, Wangjing Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences between July and September 2006. Totally 114 healthy Wistar male adult rats, of clean grade, weighing 180-210 g, were provided by the Laboratory Animal Center, Institute for Basic Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences were enrolled in this study. The processing of animals corresponded to the standard of Animal Ethics. Yuhong ointment was purchased from the Pharmaceutical Center, Guanganmen Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (Lot No. 20020110). Jingwanhong was the product of Tianjin Darentang Da'er Pharmcaceutical Co., Ltd (Lot No. Z12020440). METHODS: The 114 rats were completely randomly chosen and divided into 3 groups with 36 in each: Yuhong ointment group, Jingwanhong group and model group, and the left 6 rats were involved as normal control group. Rats in the normal control group were raised routinely, and no intervention was carried out. Immediately after being modeled, rats in the Yuhong ointment group were spread with Yuhong ointment, 0.1 g each wound, rats in the Jingwanhong group were spread with Jingwanhong, 0.1 g each wound. Dressing change was daily carried out twice regularly until wound healing; The wounds of rats in the model group were untouched. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: On the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 14th and 21st days after modeling, wound healing time of rats in each group was recorded, and integrinβ1 absorbance and transcription factor p63 positive cell amount were compared. RESULTS: Totally 114 rats were involved in the final analysis.① Wound healing time of rats in the Yuhong ointment group and Jingwanhong group was significantly shorter than that in the model group, respectively (P ＜ 0.05). ② Integrinβ1 absorbance and transcription factor p63 positive cell amount of modeled rats in the Yuhong ointment group, Jingwanhong group and model group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group, respectively (P ＜ 0.05); The above-mentioned two indexes in the Yuhong ointment group and Jingwanhong group reached the peak on the 7th day, which was earlier than peak time in the model group, and peaked intensity of two indexes was significantly higher than that in the model group, separately (P ＜ 0.05). CONCLUSION: Yuhong ointment can promote rat wound healing, which may be associated with Yuhong ointment inducing the proliferation and differentiation of ESCS left in the wound edge.