Local Application of Krill Oil Accelerates the Healing of Artificially Created Wounds in Diabetic Mice

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) impairs the wound healing process, seriously threatening the health of the diabetic population. To date, few effective approaches have been developed for the treatment of diabetic wounds. Krill oil (KO) contains bioactive components that have potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. As prolonged inflammation is a crucial contributor to DM-impaired wound healing, we speculated that the local application of KO would accelerate diabetic wound healing. Therefore, KO was applied to artificially created wounds of type 2 diabetic mice induced by streptozotocin and high-fat diet. The diabetic mice had a delayed wound healing process compared with the non-diabetic control mice, with excessive inflammation, impaired collagen deposition, and depressed neovascularization in the wound area. These effects were dramatically reversed by KO. In vitro, KO blocked the TNF-α-induced macrophage inflammation, fibroblast dysfunction, and endothelial angiogenic impairment. The present study in mice suggests that KO local application could be a viable approach in the management of diabetic wounds.