Inflammation, in conjunction with leukocytes, plays a key role in most acute kidney injury (AKI). Non-resolving renal inflammation leads to chronic fibrosis and renal failure. Resolvin D series (RvDs) and E series (RvEs), protectins, and maresins (MaRs) are endogenous omega-3 fatty acid-derived lipid mediators (LMs) that potently promote inflammation resolution by shortening neutrophil life span and promoting macrophage (Mf) non-phelogistic phagocytosis of apoptotic cells and the subsequent exit of Mfs from inflammatory tissue. 14S,21R-dihydroxy docosahexaenoic acid (14S,21R-diHDHA), a Mf-produced autacrine, reprograms Mfs to rescue vascular endothelia. RvD1, RvE1, or 14S,21R-diHDHA also switches Mfs to the phenotype that produces pro-resolving interleukin-10. RvDs or protectin/neuroprotectin D1 (PD1/NPD1) inhibits neutrophil infiltration into injured kidneys, blocks toll-like receptor -mediated inflammatory activation of Mfs and mitigates renal functions. RvDs also repress renal interstitial fibrosis, and PD1 promotes renoprotective heme-oxygenase-1 expression. These findings provide novel approaches for targeting inflammation resolution and LMs or modulation of LM-associated pathways for developing better clinical treatments for AKI.

Purpose. To investigate the biosynthesis of resolvins E1 and D1 (RvE1 and RvD1) in choroid-retinal endothelial cells (CRECs) and leukocytes under inflammatory conditions and to define the mechanisms of anti-inflammatory actions of RvE1 and RvD1 in CRECs and leukocytes, cells crucial to posterior ocular inflammation. methods. RvE1, RvD1, and markers of their biosynthesis were determined by lipidomic analysis. After CRECs or cocultures of CRECs and leukocytes were treated with RvE1 or RvD1 and inflammatory stimuli, inflammatory signaling molecules were quantified by Western blot analysis, ELISA, or protein array. Transmigration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) across CRECs monolayers was quantified. results. Inflammatory stimulation increased the biosynthesis of RvE1 and RvD1 from eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), respectively, in coculture of CRECs and leukocytes. CRECs alone did not produce RvE1 and RvD1. RvE1 or RvD1 inhibited the expressions of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, IL-8, macrophage inflammatory protein-1β, regulated on activation normal T cell expressed and secreted, and tumor necrosis factor-α from CRECs or cocultures of CRECs and leukocytes. RvD1 reduced prostaglandin E₂ generation from CRECs. However, neither resolvin affected cyclooxygenase-2 formation. Treating CRECs or PMNs with RvE1 or RvD1 inhibited PMN transmigration across CREC barriers. conclusions. The interplay of inflammatory stimuli-activated CRECs and leukocytes biosynthesizes RvE1 and RvD1 from EPA and DHA. These resolvins inhibit inflammatory signaling from CRECs and leukocytes and inflammatory activity as PMN transmigration across CRECs barriers. Thus, these resolvins and their biosynthesis pathways are potential targets for novel treatment of inflammatory ocular diseases.

Chronic wounds remain a medical challenge, where well-coordinated cellular and molecular processes required by optimal healing are impaired by diabetes, aging, or other diseases. In determining mechanisms that regulate wound healing, we found that wounding induced formation of novel endogenous 14S,21S-dihydroxy-docosa-4Z,7Z,10Z,12E,16Z,19Z-hexaenoic acids (14S,21S-diHDHA);14R,21R-diHDHA; 14S,21R-diHDHA; and/or 14R,21S-diHDHA. 12-lipoxygenase and cytochrome P450 catalysis in tandem converted docosahexaenoic acid to 14S,21R-diHDHA and 14S,21S-diHDHA through the intermediacy of 14S-HDHA; P450 also converted 14R-HDHA to novel 14R,21R-diHDHA and 14R,21S-diHDHA. Macrophages function as the combination of 12-lipoxgenase and P450 to generate these 14,21-diHDHA stereoisomers, as well as their intermediates 14S-HDHA, 14R-HDHA, and 21-HDHA. The structure and formation pathways of 14,21-diHDHA stereoisomers were further confirmed by macrophage biosynthesis of 14,21-diHDHA-21,22,22,22-d₄ stereoisomers, 14S-HDHA-d₅, 14R-HDHA-d₅, and 21-HDHA-d₄ from DHA-21,21,22,22,22-d₅. We found that 14S,21-diHDHA and 14R,21-diHDHA enhanced wound closure, reepithelialization, granulation tissue growth, and capillary vasculature formation of murine wounds. 14S,21-diHDHA and 14R,21-diHDHA produced by macrophages may partially represent the molecular mechanisms for macrophage pro-healing function. Taken together, 14,21-dihydroxy-DHA stereoisomers and their formation pathways may represent a novel mechanism in the orchestration of wound healing processes, which may provide new insight for developing novel therapeutic modalities that counteract impairments to wound healing.

Severe burns are some of the most challenging problems in clinics and still lack ideal modalities. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) incorporated with biomaterial coverage of burn wounds may offer a viable solution. In this report, we seeded MSCs to a biodegradable hybrid hydrogel, namely ACgel, that was synthesized from unsaturated arginine-based poly(ester amide) (UArg-PEA) and chitosan derivative. MSC adhered to ACgels. ACgels maintained a high viability of MSCs in culture for 6 days. MSC seeded to ACgels presented well in third-degree burn wounds of mice at 8 days post-burn (dpb) after the necrotic full-thickness skin of burn wounds was debrided and filled and covered by MSC-carrying ACgels. MSC-seeded ACgels promoted the closure, re-epithelialization, granulation tissue formation, and vascularization of the burn wounds. ACgels alone can also promote vascularization but less effectively compared to MSC-seeded ACgels. The actions of MSC-seeded ACgels or ACgels alone involve the induction of reparative, anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 and M2-like macrophages, as well as the reduction of inflammatory cytokine TNFα and M1-like macrophages at the late inflammatory phase of burn-wound healing, which provided the mechanistic insights associated with inflammation and macrophages in burn wounds. For the studied regimens of these treatments, no toxicity was identified to MSCs or mice. Our results indicate that MSC-seeded ACgels have potential use as a novel adjuvant therapy for severe burns to complement commonly used skin grafting and, thus, minimize the downsides of grafting.

Treatment of diabetes-impaired wound healing remains a major unresolved medical challenge. Here, we identified suppressed formation of a novel reparative lipid mediator 14S,21R-dihydroxydocosa-4Z,7Z,10Z,12E,16Z,19Z-hexaenoic acid (14S,21R-diHDHA) in cutaneous wounds of diabetic db/db mice. These results indicate that diabetes impedes the biosynthetic pathways of 14S,21R-diHDHA in skin wounds. Administration of exogenous 14S,21R-diHDHA to wounds in diabetic animals rescued healing and angiogenesis. When db/db mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were administered together with 14S,21R-diHDHA to wounds in diabetic animals, they coacted to accelerate wound re-epithelialization, granulation tissue formation, and synergistically improved vascularization. In the pivotal cellular processes of angiogenesis, 14S,21R-diHDHA enhanced VEGF release, vasculature formation, and migration of db/db dermal microvascular endothelial cells (DMVECs), as well as remedied paracrine angiogenic functions of db/db MSCs, including VEGF secretion and the promotion of DMVEC migration and vasculature formation. Our results show that 14S,21R-diHDHA activates the p38 MAPK pathway in wounds, db/db MSCs, and DMVECs. Overall, the impeded formation of 14S,21R-diHDHA described in this study suggests that diabetes could affect the generation of pro-healing lipid mediators in wound healing. By restoring wound healing and MSC functions, 14S,21R-diHDHA is a new lead for the development of better therapeutics used in treating wounds of diabetics.

Dysfunction of macrophages (MΦs) in diabetic wounds impairs the healing. MΦs produce anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving neuroprotectin/protectin D1 (NPD1/PD1, 10R,17S-dihydroxy-docosa-4Z,7Z,11E,13E,15Z,19Z-hexaenoic acid); however, little is known about endogenous NPD1 biosynthesis by MΦs and the actions of NPD1 on diabetic MΦ functions in diabetic wound healing. We used an excisional skin wound model of diabetic mice, MΦ depletion, MΦs isolated from diabetic mice, and mass spectrometry-based targeted lipidomics to study the time course progression of NPD1 levels in wounds, the roles of MΦs in NPD1 biosynthesis, and NPD1 action on diabetic MΦ inflammatory activities. We also investigated the healing, innervation, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress in diabetic wounds treated with NPD1 or NPD1-modulated MΦs from diabetic mice. Injury induced endogenous NPD1 biosynthesis in wounds, but diabetes impeded NPD1 formation. NPD1 was mainly produced by MΦs. NPD1 enhanced wound healing and innervation in diabetic mice and promoted MΦs functions that accelerated these processes. The underlying mechanisms for these actions of NPD1 or NPD1-modulated MΦs involved 1) attenuating MΦ inflammatory activities and chronic inflammation and oxidative stress after acute inflammation in diabetic wound, and 2) increasing MΦ production of IL10 and hepatocyte growth factor. Taken together, NPD1 appears to be a MΦs-produced factor that accelerates diabetic wound healing and promotes MΦ pro-healing functions in diabetic wounds. Decreased NPD1 production in diabetic wound is associated with impaired healing. This study identifies a new molecular target that might be useful in development of more effective therapeutics based on NPD1 and syngeneic diabetic MΦs for treatment of diabetic wounds.