Moist exposed burn ointment (MEBO) promotes healing of chronic diabetic wounds in rats by regulating inflammatory factors and autophagy.

Chronic diabetic wounds represent a major global health challenge due to their persistent and difficult-to-heal nature, imposing substantial burdens on patients. Moist exposed burn ointment (MEBO), a traditional Chinese medicine preparation, has shown therapeutic potential in treating diabetic wounds; however, its underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, MEBO and recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (rb-bFGF), used as a positive control, were applied to diabetic rat wound models. Wound pathology, ultrastructures, and protein expression profiles were subsequently evaluated. The results demonstrated that MEBO reduced the expression of the inflammatory factors iNOS and IL-6, thereby alleviating inflammatory cell infiltration, while simultaneously increasing the expression of IL-10 and Arg1. Furthermore, MEBO enhanced the expression of ADAM-10 and p-AKT, promoting cell regeneration and increasing collagen deposition. It also elevated Beclin1 expression while reducing GRP78 and CTSK levels, suggesting improved subcellular structural integrity through the regulation of autophagy-related pathways. Notably, MEBO modulated angiogenesis via CD31 expression, thereby accelerating the wound healing process. In conclusion, MEBO significantly promotes wound healing in diabetic rats by regulating inflammatory responses, enhancing cell regeneration, regulating autophagy, facilitating collagen deposition, and promoting angiogenesis.