Abstract

There is growing evidence that cell behaviors can be influenced by the direct current electric fields (EFs). Some behaviors may influence wound healing directly. This study aimed to investigate the effects of EF (200 mV/mm) on immortalized nontumorigenic human epidermal (HaCaT) cells. We established a setup that can transmit an EF and maintain a stable cell culture environment. An EF was applied to HaCaT cells, and scratch-assays were performed as a model of wound healing to observe cell migration. Proliferation was evaluated by mitochondrial activity, total protein, and DNA content. Secretion of healing-associated cytokines was evaluated via cytokine arrays, and Western blot was applied to investigate signaling pathway alterations. Compared with the control group, the migration of cells exposed to EFs significantly increased (p < 0.01). After 7 days, the changes in proliferation also increased significantly (p < 0.05). The cytokine arrays revealed that granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was the most abundant factor secreted by HaCaT following EF exposure. The signals for phospho-Erk1/2 showed a significant (p < 0.0001) increase following EF exposure. The results demonstrate that exposure of HaCaT cells to EFs has positive effects on migration, proliferation, and cytokine secretion—three important steps in wound healing—and these effects may be partially mediated by activation of the Erk1/2 signaling pathway.

Highlights

  • Wound healing is a multistep biological process that is highly orchestrated and regulated, and it is focused on the recovery of the injured tissue

  • We investigated the effects of an electric fields (EFs) (200 mV/mm, similar to that found in mammalian skin wounds [17]) on the migration, proliferation, growth factor secretion, and signaling pathway changes in skin cells, as these are vital factors in wound healing

  • Ally, it can transmit a specific fieldzones to four stimulation it can transmit a specific electric field to four EF electric stimulation inEF

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Summary

Introduction

Wound healing is a multistep biological process that is highly orchestrated and regulated, and it is focused on the recovery of the injured tissue. Wound healing begins at the moment of injury. The damage that disrupts the epithelial layer instantly generates endogenous electric fields (EFs), which were detected in human skin wounds 150 years ago [1] At the moment of tissue injury, a current is generated that triggers elements of the wound-healing process. The basis for this current is the transepithelial potential difference (TEP), which results from the directed transfer of ions by epithelial cells [2]. The endogenous wound electric fields, which range from 40 to 200 mV/mm [4], are vectors that occur at the wound site immediately after injury and are considered triggers for tissue repair [1]

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