Shikonin, the active substance of the herbal medicine „Shikon‟, has strong antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties. In our previous studies, shikonin promoted recovery of artificial wound in human keratinocytes in culture, as evaluated 16 hrs post wound. DNA array analyses at 3 and 16 hrs after injury have shown changed expression of genes involved in wound healing, such as those working in cell migration, cell adhesion, etc.
Herein, a more detailed gene expression analysis done at 3 h after injury showed a remarkable increase of cell migration-related genes. Thus, the effects of shikonin on cell migration were analyzed using keratinocytes in the Boyden chamber assay.Shikonin significantly accelerated cell migration of keratinocytes towards wounded cells in the lower chamber. The accelerated migration due to increased expression of migration enhancement factors is being confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. In addition, when the effects of shikonin on the promotion of artificial wound were studied with other cells in culture, it was found that shikonin also accelerated wound healing in a murine distal tubular cell.
These results might explain the molecular basis of the therapeutic effects of Shikon in wound healing.
