Salvianolic Acid B Attenuates Hypertrophic Scar Formation In Vivo and In Vitro

Background Hypertrophic scars (HTSs) are a fibroproliferative disorder that occur following skin injuries. Salvianolic acid B (Sal-B) is an extractant from Salvia miltiorrhiza that has been reported to ameliorate fibrosis in multiple organs. However, the antifibrotic effect on HTSs remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the antifibrotic effect of Sal-B in vitro and in vivo. Methods In vitro, hypertrophic scar-derived fibroblasts (HSFs) were isolated from human HTSs and cultured. HSFs were treated with (0, 10, 50, 100 mu mol/L) Sal-B. Cell proliferation and migration were evaluated by EdU, wound healing, and transwell assays. The protein and mRNA levels of TGF beta I, Smad2, Smad3, alpha-SMA, COL1, and COL3 were detected by Western blots and real-time PCR. In vivo, tension stretching devices were fixed on incisions for HTS formation. The induced scars were treated with 100 mu L of Sal-B/PBS per day according to the concentration of the group and followed up for 7 or 14 days. The scar condition, collagen deposition, and alpha-SMA expression were analyzed by gross visual examination, H & E, Masson, picrosirius red staining, and immunofluorescence. Results In vitro, Sal-B inhibited HSF proliferation, migration, and downregulated the expression of TGF beta I, Smad2, Smad3, alpha-SMA, COL1, and COL3 in HSFs. In vivo, 50 and 100 mu mol/L Sal-B significantly reduced scar size in gross and cross-sectional observations, with decreased alpha-SMA expression and collagen deposition in the tension-induced HTS model. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that Sal-B inhibits HSFs proliferation, migration, fibrotic marker expression and attenuates HTS formation in a tension-induced HTS model in vivo. No Level Assigned This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews, and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies, and Experimental Studies. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors .

Automated summary

This study demonstrated the antifibrotic effect of Sal-B on hypertrophic scars in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. Sal-B inhibited the proliferation and migration of hypertrophic scar-derived fibroblasts in vitro and reduced scar size and fibrotic marker expression in vivo. These findings suggest that Sal-B can inhibit fibroblast proliferation and migration and attenuate hypertrophic scar formation.