Beneficial Effects of Deoxyshikonin on Delayed Wound Healing in Diabetic Mice

The study demonstrated that deoxyshikonin significantly improved delayed wound healing in diabetic mice, with 70% and 92% wound closure in the 3 μM and 20 μM deoxyshikonin groups, respectively, compared to 57% in the control group after eight days. The treatment enhanced re-epithelialization, collagen deposition, angiogenesis, and tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) under high glucose conditions. The molecular mechanism involved increased phosphorylation of p38 and Akt, and elevated expression of VEGF and VEGFR2, suggesting that deoxyshikonin could be a promising therapeutic agent for improving wound healing in diabetic patients.