The diabetic
wound is a prevalent and serious complication of diabetes, which easily deteriorates due to susceptibility to
infection and difficulty in healing, causing a high risk of
amputation and economic burden to patients.
Bacterial infection, persistent excessive
inflammation, and cellular and angiogenesis disorders are the main reasons for the difficulty of diabetic wound healing. In this study,
glycerol monooleate (GMO) was used to prepare lyotropic liquid crystal
hydrogel (LLC) containing the natural
antimicrobial peptide LL37 and
carbenoxolone (CBX) to achieve antibacterial, anti-
inflammation, and healing promotion for the treatment of diabetic
wounds. The shear-thinning properties of the LLC precursor
solution allowed it to be administered in the form of a spray, which perfectly fitted the shape of the
wound and transformed into a gel after absorbing
wound exudate to act as a
wound protective barrier. The faster release of LL37 realized rapid sterilization of
wounds, controlled the source of
inflammation, and accelerated wound healing. The inflammatory signaling pathway was blocked by the subsequently released CBX, and the spread of the inflammatory response was inhibited and then further weakened. In addition, CBX down-regulated
connexin (
Cx43) to assist LL37 to promote cell migration and proliferation better. Combined with the pro-angiogenic effect of LL37, the healing of diabetic
wounds was significantly accelerated. All these advantages made LL37-CBX-LLC a promising approach for the treatment of chronic diabetic
wounds.