Injury-induced connexin 43 expression regulates endothelial wound healing.

ABSTRACT: Endothelial cell (EC) injury is a major contributing factor to vascular surgical failure. As such, understanding the mechanisms of endothelial healing is essential to the development of vascular therapeutics and procedures. Gap junctions formed by connexin 43 (Cx43) are implicated in regulating skin wound healing, but their role in endothelial healing is unknown. Secondary analysis of RNA-seq data from in vivo injured mouse aortas (GEO: GSE115618) identified significant Cx43 upregulation in EC postinjury. We developed a novel in vivo model of EC injury using mouse carotid artery ligation to test the role of Cx43. We identified that EC immediately adjacent to the wound edge upregulate Cx43 protein expression, predominantly at cell-cell junctions. We show significantly delayed EC healing in

SUBMITTER: Sedovy MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12721369 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature