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Upregulation of chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 20 in adult epidermal keratinocytes in direct current electric fields

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Abstract

Electric fields (EFs) of around 100 mV/mm are present in normal healing wounds and induce the directional migration of epithelial cells. Reepithelialization during wound healing thus may be controlled in part by this electrical signal. In this study, the early transcriptional response of human epidermal keratinocytes to EFs is examined using microarrays. Increased expression of various chemokines, interleukins, and other inflammatory response genes indicates that EFs stimulate keratinocyte activation and immune stimulatory activity. Gene expression activity further suggests that interleukin 1 is either released or activated in EFs. Expression of the chemokine CCL20 steadily increases at 100 mV/mm over time until around 8 h after exposure. This chemokine is also expressed at field strengths of 300 mV/mm—above the level of endogenous wound fields. The early effects of EFs on epithelial gene expression activity identified in these studies suggest the importance of naturally occurring EFs both in repair mechanisms and for the possibility of controlling these responses therapeutically.

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Abbreviations

CCL20:

Chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 20

EF:

Electric field

EGF:

Epidermal growth factor

EGFR:

Epidermal growth factor receptor

HEKa:

Human epidermal keratinocytes

IL:

Interleukin

LIF:

Leukemia inhibitory factor

NFKBIZ:

Nuclear factor of kappa light polypeptide gene enhancer in B-cells inhibitor zeta

PTEN:

Phosphatase and tensin homolog

PIK3C2A:

Phosphoinositide-3-kinase class 2 alpha polypeptide

PI3K-γ:

Phosphoinositol-3-OH-kinase-γ

PLAUR:

Plasminogen activated urokinase receptor

TGF-β:

Transforming growth factor beta

TNF:

Tumor necrosis factor

uPA:

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator

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Acknowledgments

This project has been funded in part with US federal funds from the National Cancer Institute, NIH under CA-13148 and from the NCRR, NIH under 1UL1RR025777.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1075 13th St. South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA

    Jessica Amber Jennings & Dale S. Feldman

  2. Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Unit, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Universtiy of Alabma at Birmingham, 1530 3rd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA

    Dongquan Chen

  3. Clinical Translational Science Institute, Health Science Center, West Virginia University, 1 Medical Center Drive, RM 5522, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA

    Dongquan Chen

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  1. Jessica Amber Jennings
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  2. Dongquan Chen
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Correspondence to Jessica Amber Jennings.

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Jennings, J.A., Chen, D. & Feldman, D.S. Upregulation of chemokine (C–C motif) ligand 20 in adult epidermal keratinocytes in direct current electric fields. Arch Dermatol Res 302, 211–220 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-009-0995-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-009-0995-x

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