Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) optimizes oral traumatic ulcer healing of mice by reducing inflammation
Objective To evaluate the influence of overexpression HGF on the healing of traumatic ulcer of oral mucosa of mice. Material and methods Mice were divided into two groups: wild type C57BL6(WT) and HGF high expression transgenic (HGF‐Tg) mice. Traumatic ulcer of all mice were made by number 15 scalpel blade. Mice were sacrificed after 5 days and the inflammation score and expression of TNF&agr;, IFN&ggr;, c‐Met, apoptosis (TUNEL) and 40 serum inflammation cytokines were estimated. Results HGF‐Tg mice presented a lower inflammation score (p = 0.011), Serum TNF&agr; expression in HGF‐Tg ulcers is 1.3 times than WT ulcer and the difference is statistical significance (t test, p = 0.003). Serum c‐Met protein in HGF‐Tg mice were significantly higher than WT mice (t test, p = 0.004). No statistical difference was observed in the serum IFN&ggr; between WT ulcer and HGF‐Tg ulcer (t test, p = 0.268). TNF&agr; positive cytoplasm expression cells in connective tissue of HGF‐Tg mice is significantly lower than that of WT group (t test, p = 0.029). C‐Met positive cytoplasm expression cells in both epithelium and connective tissue of HGF‐Tg group is significantly higher than that of WT group (t test, p = 0.040, p = 0.000). Samples in HGF‐Tg group showed a lower number of positive cells of epithelium TUNEL staining compared with that in the WT group (t test, p = 0.035). Conclusions HGF exhibited anti‐inflammatory potential in oral traumatic ulcer through the reduction of epithelial apoptosis, connective tissue TNF&agr; expression and induction of c‐Met expression. HighlightsInfluence of overexpression HGF on the healing of oral ulcer was evaluated.Serum cytokines were detected using Antibody arrays.HGF exhibited anti‐inflammatory potential in oral traumatic ulcer of mice.