Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Jawoongo is a traditional drug ointment (with a traditional botanic formula) used for the treatment of burns and wounds in Korea. One of the components of Jawoongo is Lithospermi Radix (LR, the dried root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon Siebold & Zucc., also known as Zicao or Gromwell), which contains deoxyshikonin and its derivatives.

Objective

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of deoxyshikonin on wound healing.

Materials and methods

The effects of LR extract and deoxyshikonin on tube formation and migration were measured in human umbilical vein vascular endothelial cells (HUVEC) and HaCaT cells, respectively. We evaluated protein expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation by Western blotting. The wound healing effects of deoxyshikonin was assessed in a mouse model of cutaneous wounds.

Results

The results showed that deoxyshikonin enhanced tube formation in HUVEC and migration in HaCaT cells. From the western blot analysis, we found that deoxyshikonin stimulated the phosphorylation of p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) in HaCaT cells. Moreover, 20 µm deoxyshikonin-treated groups showed accelerated wound closure compared with the controls in a mouse model of cutaneous wounds.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the current data indicate that deoxyshikonin treatment elevated tube formation in HUVECs, and that deoxyshikonin-induced proliferation and migration in HaCaT cells were mediated by the activation of ERK and p38 MAPKs, respectively. Collectively, these data suggest that deoxyshikonin in Jawoongo must be an active compound for may be wound healing.