Scutellarin potentiates the skin regenerative function of self growth colony, an optimized platelet-rich plasma extract, in cultured keratinocytes through VEGF receptor and MAPK signaling.

Background: Migration of keratinocyte plays an essential role in wound healing. The proprietary platelet-rich plasma from human blood, named as self-growth colony (SGC), functions in stimulating migration of wounded keratinocytes. In addition, the growth factors, including VEGF, being enriched in SGC could account for this function. Scutellarin, an active phytochemical from root of Scutellaria barbata D. Don, has been proposed to have various pharmacological functions; however, the activity in epidermal skin cells is yet to be explored. Here, the role of scutellarin in potentiating the functionality of SGC to promote the regeneration of wounded keratinocyte was probed.

Methods: Molecular docking and ultrafiltration-based LC-MS were performed to verify the binding between scutellarin and VEGF, which potentiated the VEGF-mediated functions. Scratch assay, performed on cultured keratinocytes, was to analyze the treatments of SGC and scutellarin in the process of wound healing. Western blot analysis was to confirm the involvement of signaling cascades in observed effects.

Results: We have identified the binding of scutellarin with VEGF. The binding accounted for the potentiation role of scutellarin in skin regeneration, as triggered by SGC. The co-treatment of scutellarin and SGC onto scratched keratinocyte cultures was able to enhance the process of wound healing, that is, scutellarin showed a potentiating effect to SGC. In addition, the potentiation of scutellarin was shown to be mediated by phosphorylation of VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR2) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling.

Conclusion: These findings support the application of scutellarin as an enhancing agent in potentiating the SGC-mediated wound healing.