Regulation of the Expression of Inflammation and Extracellular Matrix Genes during the Healing of Purulent-Necrotic Wounds under the Influence of Biologically Active Preparations

Abstract The problem of wound treatment, in particular purulent-necrotic, remains one of the most urgent, especially in the conditions of a full-scale war in Ukraine. One of the promising areas of therapy for such wounds is the use of proteolytic enzymes for their enzymatic cleaning. At the same time, to improve the healing of wound surfaces, a mixture of human blood plasma proteins can be additionally used. The aim of the work was to analyze the expression of Ptgs2, Nos2, and Col2a1 genes during the healing of purulent-necrotic wounds and when applying gels based on a mixture of both proteolytic enzymes from Antarctic hydrobionts and human blood plasma proteins. White nonlinear laboratory rats (n = 30) were divided into three groups: the first group was intact animals and the second and third groups were a model of purulent-necrotic wound. The third group of rats received a gel based on a mixture of proteolytic enzymes from starfish and sea urchin on their wounds until day 14 and then a gel based on a mixture of human plasma proteins obtained from fraction I from day 14 until the wounds were completely closed. The expression level of Ptgs2, Nos2, and Col2a1 genes from blood cells and the wound surface was determined using real-time reverse transcription PCR. The molecular genetic analysis revealed an increase in the expression level of all studied genes in response to injury but with different intensity and time dynamics (in particular, the growth was more intense in the wound tissue), which indicates their functional specificity in the process of tissue repair. It was shown for the first time that the use of a two-stage scheme of applying the indicated gels significantly reduced the expression of proinflammatory genes (Ptgs2, Nos2) in the blood and wound surface at all stages of healing and contributed to the normalization of Col2a1 expression, indicating reduced inflammation and more balanced tissue remodeling. Thus, the use of the above gels may affect inflammatory and regenerative processes by modulating the expression pattern of the analyzed genes.