EFFECT OF MEMBRANE CHITOSAN WITH ZINC-VANILINE COMPLEX IN
THE TREATMENT OF SKIN INJURIES IN DIABETIC RATS
Diabetes, Skin lesions, Zinc, Chitosan membrane.
The treatment of chronic wounds is still considered a public health problem, when it
affects groups of risks as diabetics and becomes a great clinical challenge. In this
work, we evaluated the healing effects of a new zinc complex associated with a
chitosan membrane, tested in cutaneous wounds of diabetic rats. Wistar rats were
submitted to induction of diabetes with streptozotocin 40 mg / kg (i.v.). On the
seventh day after diabetic induction, a circular skin excision (1.0 cm) with punch
was performed. The lesions were treated with the pure chitosan membrane and with
the membrane associated with the Zinc-vanillin complex (CS-ZPV1 and CS-ZPV2)
at two concentrations, 7.36 x 10-7 mol cm-2 and 1.22 x 10-6 mol cm -2,
respectively. The samples were submitted to macroscopic, histopathological,
cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-10) and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain
reaction (RtPCR) (TGFβ and VEGF) assays. The analysis revealed
reepithelialization, angiogenic stimulation, collagen deposition and expression of
proteins that aid in the healing process in a significant proportion in the groups
treated with the CS-ZPV membrane compared to the groups without treatment.
Treatment with CS-ZPV reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and increased IL-10,
also increased the gene expression of TGFβ and VEGF. The evaluated parameters
suggest that CS-ZPV in the two concentrations tested may be effective in the
treatment of chronic wounds.