Mi R ‐138/peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor β signaling regulates human hypertrophic scar fibroblast proliferation and movement in vitro

Excessive scars affect a patient's quality of life, both physically and psychologically, by causing pruritus, pain and contractures. Because there is a poor understanding of the complex mechanisms underlying the processes of hypertrophic scar formation, most therapeutic approaches remain clinically unsatisfactory. In this study, we found that mi R ‐138 was downregulated and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor ( PPAR β) was inversely upregulated in hypertrophic scar tissues compared to in paired normal skin tissues. Using a dual‐luciferase assay, we validated that mi R 138 directly targets PPAR β and regulates its expression at the transcriptional and translational levels. In gain‐and‐loss experiments, we found that mi R ‐138/ PPAR β signaling regulated human hypertrophic scar fibroblast proliferation and movement, and affected scarring‐related protein expression, which suggests that mi R ‐138/ PPAR β signaling is important for hypertrophic scarring. Thus, our study provides evidence to help determine whether mi R ‐138/ PPAR β signaling may be a potential target for hypertrophic scarring management.