Hypoxia-Preconditioned Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Enhance TGF-β and VEGF Expression

Third-degree burns cause extensive damage from epidermis to subcutaneous tissue, often leading to infection, delayed healing, and hypertrophic scarring. Standard therapy, such as silver sulfadiazine (SSD), has limitations. Exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells under hypoxic conditions (EH-MSCs) contain bioactive molecules, including miRNAs and growth factors, that can modulate inflammation, stimulate angiogenesis, and regulate extracellular matrix formation. This experimental post-test control group study involved 30 male Wistar rats, divided into five groups: a healthy control, a burn + NaCl group, a burn + SSD group, a burn + EH-MSCs 100 µg/mL group, and a burn + EH-MSCs 200 µg/mL group. Third-degree burns were induced using a 2×2 cm heated metal plate. On day 5, the expressions of TGF-β and VEGF were measured by PCR. Data were analyzed using the Shapiro–Wilk test, Levene’s test, and one-way ANOVA with Tamhane’s post hoc test (p