Desalinated Lava Seawater Promotes Wound Healing by MMP9 Through Activating ERK Pathways in HaCaT Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Wounds are injuries to skin that frequently occur in daily life. Delayed wound healing can affect quality of life. Therefore, new materials for treating skin wounds are continuously being developed. Lava seawater is a groundwater resource in the Jeju region of the Republic of Korea with high mineral content, making it popular in industrial applications such as cosmetics. Our study investigated the effect and mechanism of action of lava seawater, desalinated using electrodialysis, on wound healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HaCaT cells were cultured in media containing different concentrations of desalinated lava seawater, and scratch wound and Transwell migration assays were performed to assess wound-healing performance. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) was studied using western blotting. RESULTS: We confirmed that the wound-healing effect of desalinated lava seawater was because of the migration of keratinocytes. Additionally, desalinated lava seawater increased the mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, and angiopoietin-1, which are associated with angiogenesis. Desalinated lava seawater also promoted wound healing by inducing the expression of MMP9, which facilitated keratinocyte migration by loosening the contact between keratinocytes and the matrix. In addition, ERK was activated by desalinated lava seawater, and the expression of MMP9 was promoted, inducing migration of HaCaT cells and increasing wound closure. CONCLUSION: This study provides insights into the potential impact of desalinated lava seawater produced from lava seawater on wound healing, its underlying mechanism of action, and potential applications.