Adenine accelerated the diabetic wound healing by PPAR delta and angiogenic regulation

Wound healing is one of the major complications of diabetes, and problems with wound healing in diabetics often lead to amputation and even death. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a protein involved in intracellular metabolism. Activated AMPK can reduce visceral fat and cholesterol synthesis and even inhibit hepatic gluconeogenesis. Activation of AMPK has been widely used in the treatment of type II diabetes. We applied an AMPK activator (Adenine) to human fibroblasts and to the wounds of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. We applied Adenine ointment to the wounds on 7 consecutive days and observed the healing status as well as activation of AMPK and angiogenic factors. Based on the appearance of the wounds, the results showed that after 7 days of treatment the wound area was smaller in the Adenine-treated group relative to the control group. The results for tissue protein expression showed that, compared to the control group, angiogenic related protein, PPARδ were increased and receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) was decreased in the Adenine-treated group. Our studies indicate that Adenine has the potential to become a useful drug in the treatment of diabetic wound healing.