Background:Wound management of diabetic foot ulcers(DFUs)is a complex and challenging task,and existing strategies fail to meet clinical needs.Therefore,it is important to develop novel drug candidates and discover ne...Background:Wound management of diabetic foot ulcers(DFUs)is a complex and challenging task,and existing strategies fail to meet clinical needs.Therefore,it is important to develop novel drug candidates and discover new therapeutic targets.However,reports on peptides as molecular probes for resolving issues related to DFUs remain rare.This study utilized peptide RL-QN15 as an exogenous molecular probe to investigate the underlying mechanism of endogenous non-coding RNA in DFU wound healing.The aim was to generate novel insights for the clinical management of DFUs and identify potential drug targets.Methods:We investigated the wound-healing efficiency of peptide RL-QN15 under diabetic con-ditions using in vitro and in vivo experimental models.RNA sequencing,in vitro transfection,quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction,western blotting,dual luciferase reporter gene detection,in vitro cell scratches,and cell proliferation and migration assays were performed to explore the potential mechanism underlying the promoting effects of RL-QN15 on DFU repair.Results:Peptide RL-QN15 enhanced the migration and proliferation of human immortalized keratinocytes(HaCaT cells)in a high-glucose environment and accelerated wound healing in a DFU rat model.Based on results from RNA sequencing,we defined a new microRNA(miR-4482-3p)related to the promotion of wound healing.The bioactivity of miR-4482-3p was verified by inhibiting and overexpressing miR-4482-3p.Inhibition of miR-4482-3p enhanced the migration and proliferation ability of HaCaT cells as well as the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor B(VEGFB).RLQN15 also promoted the migration and proliferation ability of HaCaT cells,and VEGFB expression was mediated via inhibition of miR-4482-3p expression by the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38MAPK)and smad3 signaling pathways.Conclusions:RL-QN15 is an effective molecule for the treatment of DFUs,with the underlying mechanism related to the inhibition of miR-4482-3p expression via the p38MAPK and smad3 signaling pathways,ultimately promoting re-epithelialization,angiogenesis and wound healing.This study provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of RL-QN15 as a molecular probe in promoting DFU wound healing.展开更多
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32360138,32060212,32301054 and 81760648)Key Program of Yunnan Fundamental Research Project(202301AS070036)+1 种基金Outstanding Youth Program of Yunnan Applied Basic Research Project-Kunming Medical University Union Foundation(202301AY070001-301)Project of Yunnan Applied Basic Research Project-Kunming Medical University Union Foundation(202101AY070001-006 and 202101AY070001-036).
文摘Background:Wound management of diabetic foot ulcers(DFUs)is a complex and challenging task,and existing strategies fail to meet clinical needs.Therefore,it is important to develop novel drug candidates and discover new therapeutic targets.However,reports on peptides as molecular probes for resolving issues related to DFUs remain rare.This study utilized peptide RL-QN15 as an exogenous molecular probe to investigate the underlying mechanism of endogenous non-coding RNA in DFU wound healing.The aim was to generate novel insights for the clinical management of DFUs and identify potential drug targets.Methods:We investigated the wound-healing efficiency of peptide RL-QN15 under diabetic con-ditions using in vitro and in vivo experimental models.RNA sequencing,in vitro transfection,quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction,western blotting,dual luciferase reporter gene detection,in vitro cell scratches,and cell proliferation and migration assays were performed to explore the potential mechanism underlying the promoting effects of RL-QN15 on DFU repair.Results:Peptide RL-QN15 enhanced the migration and proliferation of human immortalized keratinocytes(HaCaT cells)in a high-glucose environment and accelerated wound healing in a DFU rat model.Based on results from RNA sequencing,we defined a new microRNA(miR-4482-3p)related to the promotion of wound healing.The bioactivity of miR-4482-3p was verified by inhibiting and overexpressing miR-4482-3p.Inhibition of miR-4482-3p enhanced the migration and proliferation ability of HaCaT cells as well as the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor B(VEGFB).RLQN15 also promoted the migration and proliferation ability of HaCaT cells,and VEGFB expression was mediated via inhibition of miR-4482-3p expression by the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase(p38MAPK)and smad3 signaling pathways.Conclusions:RL-QN15 is an effective molecule for the treatment of DFUs,with the underlying mechanism related to the inhibition of miR-4482-3p expression via the p38MAPK and smad3 signaling pathways,ultimately promoting re-epithelialization,angiogenesis and wound healing.This study provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of RL-QN15 as a molecular probe in promoting DFU wound healing.