Effect of allogeneic platelet-rich plasma on the healing of ulcer wound surface in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of allogeneic platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on ulcer wound surface in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.Methods: A total of 20 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were procured as skin ulcer as well as diabetes models, and randomly divided into control and PRP groups, respectively. Their wound surfaces were smeared with 0.9 % normal saline or an equal concentration of allogeneic PRP, respectively, and the pathological changes in the wound tissues were examined with the aid of hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Also, the expression levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) in wound tissues were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results: Both purulent exudation and swelling of the wound surface were milder in the PRP group than in the control group, and the PRP group showed greater redness on the wound surface and more pronounced signs of epithelialization of the wound surface and its margins (p < 0.05). Wound healing rate in PRP group was higher than in the control group while the number of fibroblasts and new microvessels in the wound surface in the PRP group were greater than in the control group, accompanied by slighter inflammatory response compared to the control group. Furthermore, the PRP group expressed lower MMP-2, MMP-2/TIMP-2 ratio, and higher TGF-β1 and TIMP-2 levels than in the control group (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Allogeneic PRP treatment contributes to the healing of ulcer wound surface in diabetic rats, a process mediated by TGF-β1/MMP-2/TIMP-2 signaling pathway. Thus, PRP is a potential therapeutic agent for the management of diabetic ulcer wounds.