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CORRECTION article

Front. Pharmacol., 23 January 2026

Sec. Experimental Pharmacology and Drug Discovery

Volume 16 - 2025 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2025.1677222

This article is part of the Research TopicExploring Untapped Potential: Innovations in Drug RepurposingView all 23 articles

Correction: Detrimental effect of sitagliptin induced autophagy on multiterritory perforator flap survival

This article is a correction to:

  1. Detrimental Effect of Sitagliptin Induced Autophagy on Multiterritory Perforator Flap Survival

    1. Read original article
Zhengtai Chen,, &#x;Zhengtai Chen1,2,3 † Chenxi Zhang ,, &#x;Chenxi Zhang 1,2,3 †Haiwei Ma,,Haiwei Ma1,2,3Zihuai Huang,,Zihuai Huang1,2,3Jiafeng Li,,Jiafeng Li1,2,3Junshen Lou,,Junshen Lou1,2,3 Baolong Li ,,Baolong Li 1,2,3Qi Tu,Qi Tu4,5 Weiyang Gao , Weiyang Gao 1,2*
  • 1 Department of Orthopaedics, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
  • 2 Department of Orthopaedics, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Orthpaedics, Wenzhou, China
  • 3 Department of Second Clinical Medical, The Second Clinical Medical College of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
  • 4 Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
  • 5 Department of First Clinical Medical, The First Clinical Medical College of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China

A Correction on
Detrimental effect of sitagliptin induced autophagy on multiterritory perforator flap survival

by Chen Z, Zhang C, Ma H, Huang Z, Li J, Lou J, Li B, Tu Q and Gao W (2020). Front. Pharmacol. 11:951. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00951

There was a mistake in Figure 3 as published. The images of the control group and 3MA group in Figure 3C were mistakenly used, but their CTSD expression trends were consistent and did not affect the results. The corrected Figure 3 appears below.

Figure 3
Panel A shows fluorescent images of LC3II-positive cells stained red and nuclei stained blue, with merged images in three conditions: Control, Sit, Sit+3MA. Panel B is a bar graph comparing the percentage of LC3II-positive cells, showing Sit with increased values. Panel C presents CTSD protein expression in tissue sections under the same conditions. Panel D is a bar graph of CTSD absorption, with Sit showing increased levels. Panel E displays Western blot results for proteins p62, Beclin1, VPS34, CTSD, LC3II, and GAPDH across conditions. Panel F is a bar graph of autophagy-related proteins' expression, indicating increased Sit levels.

Figure 3. Sit induces autophagy in the perforator flap. (A) Autophagosomes (red) in cells in SCZ of flaps in the control, Sit, and Sit+3MA groups by immunofluorescence staining for LC3II (scale bar: 20 µm). (B) Histogram of fluorescence intensity of LC3II-positive cells in the dermal layer in each group. (C) IHC staining of CTSD expression in the dermis (original magnification: 200×; scale bar: 50 µm). (D) Histogram of CTSD level estimated by IHC. (E) Western blotting for Beclin1, VPS34, CTSD, SQSTM1/p62, and LC3II expressions in flap of the control, Sit, and Sit+3MA groups. All gels have been run under the same electrophoretic conditions and cropped blots are used here. (F) Histogram of autophagy related protein expressions of Beclin1, p62, CTSD, VPS34, and LC3II calculated as the folds of control. **p < 0.01, vs. control group; @@p < 0.01, vs. Sit group. Data are presented as mean ± standard error, n = 6 per group.

There was a mistake in Figure 4 as published. The images in the Sit group of Figure 4E are not representative and need to be replaced with new images, but this will not affect the results. The corrected Figure 4 appears below.

Figure 4
Panels show various analyses related to vascular and protein expressions under control, Sit, and Sit+3MA conditions. Panel A displays immunofluorescence images for α-SMA, with graphs B and D showing quantifications of vessel numbers and density. Panel C presents H&E stained tissue sections. Panel E displays CD34 staining with quantification in F. Panel G shows VEGF staining and its quantification in H. Panel I features Cadherin 5 staining with quantification in J. Panel K presents Western blots for VEGF, Cadherin 5, MMP9, and GAPDH, with panel L showing protein expression levels.

Figure 4. Effect of Sit-induced autophagy on angiogenesis in the perforator flap. (A) Microvessels (red) in SCZ of flaps in the control, Sit, and Sit+3MA groups were estimated by immunofluorescence staining for α-SMA in the dermal layer (scale bar: 20 µm). (B) Histograms representing percentages of α-SMA labeled microvessels in each group. (C) H&E staining exhibiting subcutaneous histology of the flap, showing microvessels in SCZ in the control, Sit, and Sit+3MA groups (original magnification ×200; scan bar, 50 μm). (D) Histogram indicating percentage of mean vessel density in each group. (E) IHC for CD34 positive vessels in the control, Sit, and Sit+3MA groups (original magnification ×200; scale bar, 50 µm). (F) Histogram of the percentage of CD34-positive vessel density in each group. (G,I) IHC for VEGF and Cadherin 5 expression in the flap in the control, Sit, and Sit+3MA groups (original magnification ×200; scale bar, 50 µm). (H,J) The optical density values of VEGF and Cadherin 5 in each group. (K) The expressions of MMP9, VEGF, and Cadherin 5 detected by western blotting in the control, Sit, and Sit+3MA groups. All gels have been run under the same experimental conditions and cropped blots are used here. (L) Histogram of the optical density values of MMP9, VEGF, and Cadherin 5 in each group. *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01, vs. control group; @p < 0.05 and @@p < 0.01, vs. Sit group. Data are presented as mean ± standard error, n = 6 per group.

There was a mistake in Figure 5 as published. The images in the control group of Figure 5A are not representative and need to be replaced with new images, but this will not affect the results. The corrected Figure 5 appears below.

Figure 5
Panel A shows SOD1 staining for control, sitagliptin (Sit), and Sit+3MA groups. Panel B is a bar graph illustrating the integrated density of SOD1 with increases in Sit and Sit+3MA groups. Panel C displays Western blot results for eNOS, SOD1, HO-1, and GAPDH across different groups. Panel D presents a bar graph comparing oxidative stress-related protein expressions; increases are noted in Sit and Sit+3MA groups for eNOS, SOD1, and HO-1. Panel E shows the mean activity of MDA, Panel F of SOD, and Panel G of GSH, with variations across groups.

Figure 5. Effect of Sit-induced autophagy on oxidative stress in the perforator flap. (A) IHC for SOD1 expression in the perforator flap in the control, Sit, and Sit+3MA groups (original magnification ×200; scale bar, 50 µm). (B) Histogram of optical density values of SOD1 quantified and analyzed by IHC. (C) The expressions of SOD1, eNOS, and HO1 as revealed by western blotting in the control, Sit, and Sit+3MA groups. Gels have been run under the same experimental conditions and cropped blots are used here. (D) Histogram of oxidative stress related protein expressions of SOD1, eNOS, and HO1 in each group. (E) MDA level evaluated using modified thiobarbituric acid test. (F) Total SOD activity evaluated using xanthine oxidase method. (G) GSH level evaluated using modified 5,5′-dithiobis method. *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01, vs. control group; @p < 0.05 and @@p < 0.01, vs. Sit group. Data are presented as mean ± standard error, n = 6 per group.

The original article has been updated.

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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Keywords: multiterritory perforator flap, sitagliptin, autophagy, angiogenesis, apoptosis, oxidative stress, PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Citation: Chen Z, Zhang C, Ma H, Huang Z, Li J, Lou J, Li B, Tu Q and Gao W (2026) Correction: Detrimental effect of sitagliptin induced autophagy on multiterritory perforator flap survival. Front. Pharmacol. 16:1677222. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1677222

Received: 31 July 2025; Accepted: 31 December 2025;
Published: 23 January 2026.

Edited and reviewed by:

Venkateshwar G. Keshamouni, University of Michigan, United States

Copyright © 2026 Chen, Zhang, Ma, Huang, Li, Lou, Li, Tu and Gao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Weiyang Gao, d2VpeWFuZ2dhb2lAMTI2LmNvbQ==

†These authors have contributed equally to this work

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.