Baicalin regulates mRNA expression of VEGF-c, Ang-1/Tie2, TGF-β and Smad2/3 to inhibit wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic foot ulcer rats.

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is biggest life threats globally and increases their severity increases health complications for health of patients. The present study was investigated to recover the wound healing activity of baicalin in STZ-induced DFU rats by evaluating biochemical and molecular markers. The experimental animals induced with diabetes and excision wounds were treated with different doses of baicalin (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg). The serum glucose level, body weight and food intake were measured. In addition, DFU rat groups showed decreased food intake and increased body weight. The tissue was subjected to biochemical evaluation, histopathology, quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Histopathology reports revealed that diabetic wound control (DWC) + baicalin (100 mg/kg) treated group showed more than 90% recovery with more epithelization and remarkably improved angiogenesis and infiltration of the inflammatory cells. In this study we also proved that upregulated the p-ERK, ERK, HSP27, and p-HSP27 protein expression and mRNA expression of Ang-1, VEGF-c, TGF-β, Tie-2, and SMAD2/3 implicating the potential antidiabetic and wound healing property of baicalin. Thus, baicalin is a potential therapeutic candidate for a diabetic foot ulcer and chronic wounds treatment.