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. 2024 Oct 25:39:e399024.
doi: 10.1590/acb399024. eCollection 2024.

Melatonin associated with bacterial cellulose-based hydrogel improves healing of skin wounds in diabetic rats

Jaiurte Gomes Martins da Silva  1   2 , Ismaela Maria Ferreira de Melo  1 , Érique Ricardo Alves  1 , Glícia Maria de Oliveira  3 , Anderson Arnaldo da Silva  4 , Flávia Cristina Morone Pinto  5 , José Lamartine de Andrade Aguiar  5 , Diego Neves Araújo  2 , Valéria Wanderley Teixeira  1 , Álvaro Aguiar Coelho Teixeira  1
Affiliations

Melatonin associated with bacterial cellulose-based hydrogel improves healing of skin wounds in diabetic rats

Jaiurte Gomes Martins da Silva et al. Acta Cir Bras. .

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the effects of melatonin associated with bacterial cellulose-based hydrogel on healing of skin wounds in diabetic rats.

Methods: Streptozotocin was used to induce diabetes in Wistar rats. After wound induction, animals were randomly divided into groups GC, GDCC, GDCB, and GDMCB. Animals were evaluated in days 3, 7, and 14 for the following variables: glycemic levels, histopathological and histochemical analyses, healing rate, morphometry and C-reactive protein.

Results: There was no change in glycemic levels in the diabetic animals as a result of the treatments; histopathological analyses showed better healing in GDCB and GDMCB groups, as well as histochemistry; at day 14, the highest healing rate was observed in animals from the GDMCB group, reaching almost 100%; morphometry revealed a significant increase of fibroblasts and reduction of macrophages and blood vessels in lesions treated with bacterial cellulose associated or not with melatonin when compared to the other experimental groups. There was also an increase in C-reactive protein in GDCC group at day 14.

Conclusion: Bacterial cellulose-based dressings associated with systemic melatonin showed beneficial results in experimentally induced wounds in diabetic rats, favoring the healing process.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: Nothing to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Mean + standard deviation of glycemic levels in animals in experimental groups. Means followed by the same letters do not differ significantly by Tukey and Kramer’s multiple test (p < 0.05).
Figure 2
Figure 2. Photograph of the evolution of the cutaneous lesions in the animals of the experimental groups.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Mean + standard deviation of percentage healing rate of lesions in animals in experimental groups. Means followed by the same letters in the columns do not differ significantly by Tukey and Kramer’s multiple test (p < 0.05).
Figure 4
Figure 4. Photomicrograph of skin lesions in animals from experimental groups after three days of induction and respective treatments. (a) GC; (b) GDCC, (c) GDCB, (d) GDMCB. Note the presence of granulation tissue (gt) and blood vessels (arrows) in the lesions. Hematoxylin and eosin.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Photomicrograph of skin lesions in animals from experimental groups after seven days of induction and respective treatments. (a) GC; (b) GDCC, (c) GDCB, (d) GDMCB. Note the presence of granulation tissue (gt) and re-epithelialization in the lesions (arrowhead). Hematoxylin and eosin.
Figure 6
Figure 6. Photomicrograph of skin lesions in animals from experimental groups after 14 days of induction and respective treatments. (a) GC; (b) GDCC, (c) GDCB, (d) GDMCB. Note in the lesions the presence of granulation tissue (gt) only in a and b, re-epithelialization (arrowhead) and epithelium in the process of keratinization (dashed arrow). Hematoxylin and eosin.
Figure 7
Figure 7. Masson’s trichrome histochemistry in skin lesions evaluated 14 days after induction and respective treatments. (a) GC; (b) GDCC, (c) GDCB, (d) GDMCB. Note positive labeling in all groups.
Figure 8
Figure 8. Mean + standard deviation of total collagen quantification in pixels in the skin lesions of animals in the experimental groups. Check a significant increase in GDCB and GDMCB groups. Means followed by the same letters in the columns do not differ significantly by Tukey and Kramer’s multiple test (p < 0.05).
Figure 9
Figure 9. Mean + standard deviation of the percentage of fibroblasts, macrophages and blood vessels in the skin lesions of the animals in the experimental groups at day 14. Means followed by the same letter do not differ significantly by Tukey and Kramer’s multiple comparisons test (p > 0.05).
Figure 10
Figure 10. Mean + standard deviation of CRP levels in animals from experimental groups at day 14. Means followed by the same letter do not differ significantly by Tukey and Kramer’s multiple comparisons test (p > 0.05).
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