Fig 2: TIMP-1 (A,B) and collagen a1 (I) (C,D) immunohistochemical analysis of a 4-day-old wound (A,B,D) with adjacent skin (C). (A) Fibroblasts (solid arrowheads) below neoepidermis and (B) endothelial cell (outline arrowhead) of small blood vessel show positive immunoreactivity of TIMP-1 in upper dermis. (D) Arrow indicates the tip of the migrating neoepidermal tongue.

Fig 3: The correlation of MMP-9, TIMP-1, and VMA with the efficacy of chemotherapy after chemotherapy. (a) Correlation analysis of MMP-9 and chemotherapy efficacy after chemotherapy. (b) Correlation analysis of TIMP-1 and chemotherapy efficacy. (c) Correlation analysis of VMA and chemotherapy efficacy. MMP-9, matrix metalloproteinase-9; TIMP-1, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1; VMA, vanillylmandelic acid.

Fig 4: Effects of IL-6 (30 ng/mL) and IL-1ß (1 ng/mL) treatment of NHEKs (A,B) and NHDFs (C,D) on MMP1 and TIMP1 mRNA (A,C) and protein media levels of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 (B,D). mRNA levels were determined by RT–qPCR and normalized to RPLP0, expressed as FC relative to control-treated NHEKs and NHDFs. The geometric mean ± back-transformed SEM of 6 replicates is shown (A,C). MMP-1 and TIMP-1 protein levels were determined by ELISA. The mean ± SEM of 6 replicates is shown (B,D). * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001 vs. control.

Fig 5: Changes of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels before and after chemotherapy. (a) MMP-9 level decreased significantly after chemotherapy. (b) TIMP-1 level decreased significantly after chemotherapy. (c) VMA level decreased significantly after chemotherapy. (d) Correlation analysis of VMA and MMP-9. (e) Correlation analysis of VMA and TIMP-1. ***P < 0.001. MMP-9, matrix metalloproteinase-9; TIMP-1, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1; VMA, vanillylmandelic acid.