In situ eNOS/NO up-regulation—a simple and effective therapeutic strategy for diabetic skin ulcer

Abstract

Decreased nitric oxide (NO) synthesis and increased NO consumption in diabetes induces the inadequate blood flow to tissues that is primarily responsible for the pathogenesis and refractoriness of diabetic skin ulcers. The present study proposed a simple and effective therapeutic strategy for diabetic skin ulcers— in situ up-regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression and NO synthesis by statin-loaded tissue engineering scaffold (TES). In vitro experiments on human umbilical vein endothelial cells indicated that the statin-loaded TES relieved the high-glucose induced decrease in cell viability and promoted NO synthesis under high-glucose conditions. In a rat model of diabetes, the statin-loaded TES promoted eNOS expression and NO synthesis in/around the regenerated tissues. Subsequently, accelerated vascularization and elevated blood supply were observed, followed by rapid wound healing. These findings suggest that the in situ up-regulation of eNOS/NO by a statin-loaded TES may be a useful therapeutic method for intractable diabetic skin wounds.