New Insights on the Effects of Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Impaired Skin Healing in Diabetes and Chronic Venous Leg Ulcers

Targeting gut microbiota and its associated metabolites as a potential strategy for promoting would healing in diabetes

Impaired healing of diabetic wounds is one of the most important complications of diabetes, often leading to lower limb amputations and incurring significant economic and psychosocial costs. Unfortunately, there are currently no effective prevention or treatment strategies available. Recent research has reported that an imbalance in the gut microbiota, known as dysbiosis, was linked to the onset of type 2 diabetes, as well as the development and progression of diabetic complications. Indeed, the gut microbiota has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for treating type 2 diabetes and related diseases. However, there is few of literatures specifically discussing the relationship between gut microbiota and diabetic wounds. This review aims to explore the potential role of the gut microbiota, especially probiotics, and its associated byproducts such as short chain fatty acids, bile acids, hydrogen sulfide, and tryptophan metabolites on wound healing to provide fresh insights and novel perspectives for the treatment of chronic wounds in diabetes.

Neutrophil heterogeneity and aging: implications for COVID-19 and wound healing

Neutrophils play a critical role in the immune response to infection and tissue injury. However, recent studies have shown that neutrophils are a heterogeneous population with distinct subtypes that differ in their functional properties. Moreover, aging can alter neutrophil function and exacerbate immune dysregulation. In this review, we discuss the concept of neutrophil heterogeneity and how it may be affected by aging. We then examine the implications of neutrophil heterogeneity and aging for COVID-19 pathogenesis and wound healing. Specifically, we summarize the evidence for neutrophil involvement in COVID-19 and the potential mechanisms underlying neutrophil recruitment and activation in this disease. We also review the literature on the role of neutrophils in the wound healing process and how aging and neutrophil heterogeneity may impact wound healing outcomes. Finally, we discuss the potential for neutrophil-targeted therapies to improve clinical outcomes in COVID-19 and wound healing.

The Antimicrobial Peptide Esculentin-1a(1-21)NH2 Stimulates Wound Healing by Promoting Angiogenesis through the PI3K/AKT Pathway

Delayed wound healing is a persistent medical problem mainly caused by decreased angiogenesis. Esculentin-1a(1-21)NH₂ [Esc-1a(1-21)NH₂], has broad-spectrum antibacterial properties which comes from frog skins. It has shown promise as a treatment for wound healing. However, its effects on angiogenesis as well as the mechanism by which esc-1a(1-21)NH₂ enhanced wound healing remained unclear. In this study, we analyzed the structural properties and biocompatibility of esc-1a(1-21)NH₂ and evaluated its effect on wound closure using a full-thickness excision model in mice. Our results showed that esc-1a(1-21)NH₂ significantly accelerated wound healing by increasing collagen deposition and angiogenesis, characterized by elevated expression levels of platelet, endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD31) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Furthermore, the angiogenic activity of esc-1a(1-21)NH₂ was confirmed in vitro by various assays. Esc-1a(1-21)NH₂ significantly promoted cell migration and cell proliferation in human umbilical vein vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) via activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway, and upregulated the expression of CD31 at both mRNA and protein levels. The effect of esc-1a(1-21)NH₂ on angiogenesis was diminished by LY294002, a PI3K pathway inhibitor. Taken together, this study demonstrates that esc-1a(1-21)NH₂ accelerates wound closure in mice by promoting angiogenesis via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, suggesting its effective application in the treatment of wound healing.

Nutritional supplementation on wound healing in diabetic foot: What is known and what is new?

Non-healing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are the most notable and striking complications of diabetes mellitus. More than 25% of nonhealing DFU can ultimately lead to amputation of the lower extremity within 6-18 mo after the first manifestation of the wound. Although wound healing is complex, nutritional status is crucial in soft tissue repair. Malnutrition is highly prevalent and overlooked in patients with diabetes and chronic wounds. Moreover, to date, we do not have clear recommendations or evidence about the use of nutritional supplements for improving wound healing in patients with DFU. In this article the authors briefly analyzed the current evidence on the use of nutritional supplements of proteins or amino acids, fatty acids, probiotics, vitamins, and trace elements in the wound healing process in patients with DFU.

Nutraceutical-Based Nanoformulations for Breast and Ovarian Cancer Treatment

Different strategies have been investigated for a more satisfactory treatment of advanced breast cancer, including the adjuvant use of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). These nutritional compounds have been shown to possess potent anti-inflammatory and antiangiogenic activities, the capacity to affect transduction pathways/receptors involved in cell growth and to reprogram tumor microenvironment. Omega-3 PUFA-containing nanoformulations designed for drug delivery in breast cancer were shown to potentiate the effects of enclosed drugs, enhance drug delivery to target sites, and minimize drug-induced side effects. We have critically analyzed here the results of the most recent studies investigating the effects of omega-3 PUFA-containing nanoformulations in breast cancer. The anti-neoplastic efficacy of omega-3 PUFAs has also been convincingly demonstrated by using preclinical in vivo models of ovarian cancer. The results obtained are critically analyzed here and seem to provide a sufficient rationale to move to still lacking interventional clinical trials, as well as to evaluate possible advantages of enclosing omega-3 PUFAs to drug-delivery nanosystems for ovarian cancer. Future perspectives in this area are also provided.

Influence of Storage Time and Method of Smoking on the Content of EPA and DHA Acids and Lipid Quality of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Meat

Smoking is one of the oldest technologies for processing and preserving raw materials of animal origin. To this day, smoked fish is very popular among consumers. The most popular smoked fish is salmon. The research compared the qualitative changes in the fat fractions of hot and cold-smoked salmon during refrigerated storage. Generally accepted physicochemical methods for assessing the quality of fats, such as peroxide, anisidine, and acid number, were used. First, the smoked salmon was stored, and then, the samples were analyzed to find changes in the fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). It was shown that cold smoking significantly inhibited the increase in the level of lipid oxidation compared to hot smoking and raw samples stored in the same way. In the meat of stored and cold- and hot-smoked salmon, the TOTOX values remained at the level indicated by the Codex Alimentarius. Hot smoking limited the degree of lipid hydrolysis during storage as compared to cold smoking. The smoking process had a protective effect on EPA and DHA acids. In the raw samples, the loss of these acids was three times higher. Summarizing the research, it can be concluded that smoked products are a good and safe source of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet.