Abstract:Objective To investigate the effect of rat adipose-derived stem cells(ADSCs)overexpressing chemokine receptor CXCR2 on the healing of skin defects. Methods Three SD rats were executed,the adipose tissue around the groin and epididymis was rapidly isolated,and ADSCs were extracted by enzymatic digestion and cultured to the third generation.The morphological characteristics of the cells were examined by inverted microscopy,while flow cytometric analysis was used to assess the phenotypic markers of the cells and their differentiation ability.Forty mice were selected to construct an animal model of dorsal total skin defects and randomly assigned to four experimental groups:control group(given saline treatment),adipose-derived stem cells(ADSCs)treatment group,CXCR2 intervention group,and combined treatment group(ADSCs and CXCR2 co-application).Saline,ADSCs suspension(100 μL PBS),or CXCR2(10μg/L)were injected locally at the edge and base of the trauma,respectively.The healing progress was monitored by calculating the percentage of wound area to the initial area and the tissue changes of the wounds were observed by HE staining;the serum levels of IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-α were detected by ELISA.The serum levels of IL-1β,IL-18 and TNF-α were detected by ELISA.The data between groups were compared by ANOVA and t-test. Results Under the microscope,primary ADSCs initially appeared spindle-shaped,transitioning to circular after 2 hours,and predominantly spindle-shaped by 48 hours.The third generation of cells exhibited a vortex arrangement.The combination therapy group showed significantly accelerated wound healing compared to the model group,with healing areas notably reduced at days 3,7,14and 21(P<0.01).HE staining indicated complete wound healing and minimal inflammatory cell infiltration in the combination group,while the ADSCs and CXCR2 groups showed incomplete healing with persistent inflammatory cells and granulation tissue.The model group exhibited slow healing and marked scar tissue hyperplasia.The serum levels of IL-1β,IL-18and TNF-α in the combination group were significantly lower than in the model group(P<0.01). Conclusion Overexpression of CXCR2 and ADSCs significantly accelerated skin wound healing and reduced inflammation.