Study on the effect of Shixiang plaster on the expression of CD31,serum FN,and VEGF in a rat model with chronic wounds

Background:Chronic wounds pose a significant surgical challenge,often requiring traditional treatments with limited efficacy.This study explores the promising impact of Shixiang plaster,a classic Chinese ointment,on wound healing.We investigated the cluster of differentiation 31(CD31)expression,serum fibronectin(FN),and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)levels in SPF rats with induced wounds to elucidate the mechanism behind Shixiang plaster’s effectiveness.We investigated the effect and explored the role of Shixiang plaster on the expression of CD31,serum FN,and VEGF in chronic wounds.Methods:The study involved 36 SPF rats divided into model,rb-bFGF,and Shixiang plaster groups.Penicillin was injected into the rats before modelling for 3 days to prevent infection.The skin was excised 2 cm below the horizontal line of the inferior border of the shoulder bone in the middle of the rat column up to the deep fascial layer and inoculated with a certain concentration of Staphylococcus aureus;the wound was covered aseptically for 3 days.The trauma area of the rats was observed at 3,7,and 14 days,respectively.Histopathology was observed using haematoxylin eosin and Masson staining.CD31 expression was detected using immunohistochemistry staining.FN and VEGF expression was detected using serum ELISA.Statistical analyses were carried out by the method of SPSS.Results:Regarding wound morphology,at 3 days,the recovery area of the Shixiang plaster group was larger than that of the other two groups,at 7 days,the wound healing rate of the Shixiang plaster group was significantly higher,and at 14 days,the wounds of the Shixiang plaster group had been mostly healed,with a healing rate of 98.3%.Haematoxylin eosin staining revealed a large amount of granulation tissue at 3 days in the Shixiang plaster group,and the epidermal scales disappeared at 14 days,with thinner epidermal thickness at 1 lesion and a large reduction in inflammatory cell infiltration.Masson staining showed that at 3,7,and 14 days,blue staining was the most abundant and deeper in the Shixiang plaster group,with richer collagen and a compact tissue matrix.Immunohistochemical testing showed strong positive expression of CD31 in the Shixiang plaster group,with abundant neovascularisation and large official lumens extending towards the surface of the wound.Statistically significant elevated expression of FN at 7 and 14 days was determined by ELISA in the Shixiang plaster group,and VEGF expression was significantly increased at 7 days,but expression had been expressed at a low level at 14 days.Conclusion:Shixiang plaster exhibits remarkable efficacy in healing chronic wounds.The proposed mechanism involves FN’s promotion of angiogenesis and cell proliferation,VEGF’s impact on angiogenesis and inflammation,and CD31’s regulatory role in inhibiting inflammation while promoting angiogenesis.