Fig. 6.

DFO enhances wound healing and neovascularization in diabetic mice. Full-thickness skin wounds on diabetic mice were treated with every other day topical applications of 500 μM DFO, 1,000 μM DFO, or PBS. (A) Photographs of representative wounds for mice treated with PBS or 1,000 μM DFO. Wound resurfacing occurred at day 13 in the DFO-treated group versus day 23 in PBS-treated controls. (B) Graphical depiction of wound area as a function of time. DFO accelerated wound healing in a dose-dependent manner. (C) H&E stains of wound tissue at 7 days post-wounding showing increased granulation tissue in the wounds of DFO-treated animals. White borders delineate initial wound edges, and yellow borders indicate wound edges at day 7. (D) DFO- and PBS-treated mice were analyzed at 7 days post-wounding for vascularity (as assessed by CD31 immunohistochemistry). (E) Numbers of CD31-positive vessels per HPF in DFO-treated (1,000 μM) and PBS-treated mice at days 7, 13, and 21 post-wounding. (F) Wound tissue VEGF concentration at 7 days post-wounding for DFO-treated (1,000 μM) and PBS-treated mice. *, P < 0.05 vs. PBS group. n = 8.