XB130 inhibits healing of diabetic skin ulcers through the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway

BACKGROUND: Diabetic skin ulcers, a significant global healthcare burden, are mainly caused by the inhibition of cell proliferation and impaired angiogenesis. XB130 is an adaptor protein that regulates cell proliferation and migration. However, the role of XB130 in the development of diabetic skin ulcers remains unclear. AIM: To investigate whether XB130 can regulate the inhibition of proliferation and vascular damage induced by high glucose. Additionally, we aim to determine whether XB130 is involved in the healing process of diabetic skin ulcers, along with its molecular mechanisms. METHODS: We conducted RNA-sequencing analysis to identify the key genes involved in diabetic skin ulcers. We investigated the effects of XB130 on wound healing using histological analyses. In addition, we used reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining, immunofluorescence, wound healing, and tubule formation experiments to investigate their effects on cellular processes in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) stimulated with high glucose. Finally, we performed functional analysis to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying diabetic skin ulcers. RESULTS: RNA-sequencing analysis showed that the expression of XB130 was up-regulated in the tissues of diabetic skin ulcers. Knockdown of XB130 promoted the healing of skin wounds in mice, leading to an accelerated wound healing process and shortened wound healing time. At the cellular level, knockdown of XB130 alleviated high glucose-induced inhibition of cell proliferation and angiogenic impairment in HUVECs. Inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway removed the proliferative effects and endothelial protection mediated by XB130. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicated that the expression of XB130 is up-regulated in high glucose-stimulated diabetic skin ulcers and HUVECs. Knockdown of XB130 promotes cell proliferation and angiogenesis via the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway, which accelerates the healing of diabetic skin ulcers.