Abstract
Chronic nonhealing wounds pose a significant challenge to healthcare system because of its tremendous utilization of resources and time to heal. It has a well-deserved reputation for reducing the quality of life for those affected and represent a substantial economic burden to the healthcare system overall. Earthworms are used as a traditional Chinese medicine, and have been applied pharmacologically and clinically since a long time in China. However, there is paucity in data regarding its wound healing effects. Therefore, we investigated the effect of earthworm extract (EE) on skin wound healing process. The obtained data showed that EE has healing effects on local wound of mice. It decreased the wound healing time and reduced the ill-effects of inflammation as determined by macroscopic, histopathologic, hematologic, and immunohistochemistry parameters. The potential mechanism could be accelerated hydroxyproline and transforming growth factor-β secretion—thus increasing the synthesis of collagen, promoting blood capillary, and fibroblast proliferation. It could accelerate the removal of necrotic tissue and foreign bodies by speeding up the generation of interleukin-6, white blood cells, and platelets. It thus enhances immunity, reduces the risk of infection, and promotes wound healing. All in all, the obtained data demonstrated that EE improves quality of healing and could be used as a propitious wound healing agent.
Highlights
Skin, the largest organ of the body, acts as the first level of defense that shields the host from the external environment and plays a fundamental role in the homeostasis maintenance
The wound was wet with much secretion, granulation tissue covered large part of the surface in both the earthworm extract (EE) group and the JWH group, almost half of the wound was covered with thin layer of c 2018 The Author(s)
More white blood cells (WBC), GRAN, and PLT cells were found in the EE and the JWH group compared with the control group, indicating that EE can efficiently promote the proliferation of these blood cells
Summary
The largest organ of the body, acts as the first level of defense that shields the host from the external environment and plays a fundamental role in the homeostasis maintenance. Wounds open the door for the entry of foreign materials and organisms into the body [1]. The skin wound healing is a dynamic and complex biological process that involves hemostasis, inflammation, granulation, proliferation, production of matrix, and remodeling [3,4]. Poor skin wound healing represents a serious health problem worldwide, frequently associated with high costs and inefficient treatments [5]. Great efforts have been made to look for naturally occurring active components that are capable healing skin wounds and other diseases
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