Vitamin C Promotes Wound Healing: The Use of in Vitro Scratch Assays to Assess Re-Epithelialization

Abstract

Vitamin C contributes to the health of the cardiovascular, immunological and nervous system and also supports healthy bone, lung, and skin function and wound healing. The mechanism of action of vitamin C in human health is as diverse as its targets and effects. For example, vitamin C functions as an antioxidant, signals changes in gene expression, plays a role in protein metabolism, and serves a cofactor in several biosynthetic pathways including collagen synthesis. Here in this chapter we will explore the role of vitamin C in support of improved wound healing during the re-epithelialization stage. While vitamin C supports wound healing in early stages by reducing inflammation, vitamin C continues to support wound healing by promoting collagen synthesis and epithelial cell migration in the re-epithelialization stage. The re-epithelialization stage of wound healing has been modeled and investigated using an in vitro scratch-assay in which a monolayer of epithelial cells is scratched to create a gap or void in the monolayer to represent the wound. The rate of epithelial cell migration back across this gap to re-establish the monolayer can then be used as a model and measurement of the re-epithelialization stage of wound healing. Again, this Chapter will review the literature on both a) the uses of in vitro scratch assays to investigate the mechanism of vitamin C enhanced epithelial cell migration and b) the potential uses of the in vitro scratch assay to study the bioavailability and absorption of liposomal vitamin C.