To explore the effects of aloe-emodin on the proliferation, apoptosis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of pathological scar fibroblasts, as well as its regulatory mechanisms.

Proliferative scar fibroblasts (HSFb) were randomly divided into the following groups: HSFb control group (normal culture), HSFb low-dose group (25.00 μg·mL^-1 aloe-emodin), HSFb medium-dose group (50.00 μg·mL^-1 aloe-emodin), HSFb high-dose group (100.00 μg·mL^-1 aloe-emodin), and HSFb-PFT-α group (100.00 μg·mL^-1 aloe-emodin + 20.00 μmol·L^-1 p53-specific inhibitor PFT-α). Keloid fibroblast (KFb) cells were randomly divided into the following groups: KFb control group (normal culture), KFb low-dose group (25.00 μg·mL^-1 aloe-emodin), KFb medium-dose group (50.00 μg·mL^-1 aloe-emodin), KFb high-dose group (100.00 μg·mL^-1 aloe-emodin), and KFb-PFT-α group (100.00 μg·mL^-1 aloe-emodin + 20.00 μmol·L^-1 p53-specific inhibitor PFT-α). Cell viability was assessed using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of p53 and EMT-related proteins, apoptosis was measured using the TUNEL assay.

The cell survival rates of the KFb control group, KFb low-dose group, KFb medium-dose group, and KFb high-dose group were (100.00±5.17)%, (84.13±8.34)%, (73.81±7.62)% and (54.59±3.47)%, respectively; the cell survival rates of the HSFb control group, HSFb low-dose group, HSFb medium-dose group, and HSFb high-dose group were (100.00±6.77)%, (83.50±6.08)%, (71.43±2.70)% and (61.80±4.79)%, respectively. The relative expression levels of p53 protein in the KFb control group, KFb low-dose group, KFb high-dose group, and KFb-PFT-α group were 0.31±0.04, 0.52±0.04, 0.76±0.06 and 0.38±0.05, respectively; the relative expression levels of E-cadherin protein were 0.35±0.04, 0.58±0.08, 0.76±0.13 and 0.41±0.06, respectively; the apoptosis rates were (4.82±0.59)%, (11.72±1.68)%, (20.36±1.93)% and (12.46±1.28)%, respectively; the relative expression levels of p53 protein in the HSFb control group, HSFb low-dose group, HSFb high-dose group, and HSFb-PFT-α group were 0.37±0.03, 0.48±0.05, 0.65±0.07 and 0.46±0.04, respectively; the relative expression levels of E-cadherin protein were 0.26±0.03, 0.46±0.05, 0.63±0.08 and 0.34±0.05, respectively; the apoptosis rates were (4.89±0.28)%, (13.98±0.83)%, (21.51±1.08)% and (12.95±1.10)%, respectively. The differences between the KFb low- and high-dose groups and the KFb control group, the KFb-PFT-α group and the KFb high-dose group, the HSFb low- and high-dose groups and the HSFb control group, and the HSFb-PFT-α group and the HSFb high-dose group were statistically significant (P<0.05, P<0.01, P<0.001).

Aloe-emodin may inhibit the proliferation of pathological fibroblasts, EMT, and induce apoptosis by regulating the p53-related signaling pathway.