Effects of Autologous Concentrated Growth Factor on Wound Healing in Rats Contaminated with Human Feces by Activating PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK Pathways

Abstract

The most recent generation of bioactive substances, autologous concentrated growth factor, is rich in numerous endogenous growth factors, platelets, fibrin, and leukocytes, but its function in fistula repair is unclear. A wound model operation with human feces-contaminated wounds was prepared and ACGF from rats was collected to treat wounds. Besides, rat skin fibroblasts (RSF) were intervened with ACGF, PI3K inhibitor (LY294002), and MEK1/2 inhibitor (PD98059) alone or together. Cell viability, proliferation, cell cycle, migration, and collagen of RSF were estimated via cell counting kit-8, cell cycle assay, EdU staining, scratch assay, and ELISA assay. Extracellular matrix, MEK/ERK, and PI3K/AKT pathway-related markers in RSF were assessed with Western blot assay. ACGF augmented wound healing ability and ameliorated pathological changes but lessened the contents of inflammatory mediators of wound granulation tissue. Also, ACGF advanced proliferation-, vascular growth-related factors, collagen synthesis, and ECM function of granulation tissue and RSF. Furthermore, ACGF advanced the proliferation and migration of RSF through activating MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways, which was reversed by LY294002 and PD98059, respectively. In summary, ACGF advanced the healing of wounds in rats, and its mechanism might be associated with the aggrandizement of MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways.