Wound Healing Effects of a Lipocalin-Derived Peptide

Abstract

The role of lipocalins in wound healing is currently unknown, although the involvement of these proteins in injury response has been reported. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a peptide comprising the sequence of a previously described lipocalin conserved motif (pM2b), in an experimental model of skin lesion. Circular fullthickness wounds in the skin of rat dorsum were treated with pM2b or saline as control, and allowed to heal, keeping the wound occluded and moist. During wound healing, the following parameters were evaluated in the regenerating tissue: wound closure, collagen content, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. In addition, tissue sections were subjected to histological analysis. Treatment with pM2b promoted an overall improvement in wound healing and tissue repair, with distinctly marked signals in the early stages of wound healing, such as the presence of histiocytes, fibroblasts and thick collagen bundles, as well as early reepithelization in the recovering tissue. In the latter stages, pM2b-treated wounds showed a better resolution of wound healing, with evidence of regeneration and reduced scars. The regenerating tissue showed collagen increase, no significant changes in the total amount of GAGs, and increased MMP-2 activity, in comparison with control lesions. The results suggest that lipocalins which share the sequence motif related to pM2b can play a role in wound healing. The lipocalin-derived peptide can serve as a tool to develop new pharmaceuticals and formulations to aid wound healing.