Neovascular Pattern in Wound Healing after Zinc Oxide and Curcuma longa Rhizome Extract Dressing Application

Electrospun Chitosan-Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanofiber Dressings Loaded with Bioactive Ursolic Acid Promoting Diabetic Wound Healing

The design and development of novel dressing materials are urgently required for the treatment of chronic wounds caused by diabetic ulcers in clinics. In this study, ursolic acid (UA) extracted from Chinese herbal plants was encapsulated into electrospun nanofibers made from a blend of chitosan (CS) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to generate innovative CS-PVA-UA dressings for diabetic wound treatment. The as-prepared CS-PVA-UA nanofiber mats exhibited randomly aligned fiber morphology with the mean fiber diameters in the range of 100-200 nm, possessing great morphological resemblance to the collagen fibrils which exist in the native skin extracellular matrix (ECM). In addition, the CS-PVA-UA nanofiber mats were found to possess good surface hydrophilicity and wettability, and sustained UA release behavior. The in vitro biological tests showed that the high concentration of UA could lead to slight cytotoxicity. It was also found that the CS-PVA-UA nanofiber dressings could significantly reduce the M1 phenotypic transition of macrophages that was even stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and could effectively restore the M2 polarization of macrophages to shorten the inflammatory period. Moreover, the appropriate introduction of UA into CS-PVA nanofibers decreased the release levels of TNF-α and IL-6 inflammatory factors, and suppressed oxidative stress responses by reducing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well. The results from mouse hepatic hemorrhage displayed that CS-PVA-UA nanofiber dressing possessed excellent hemostatic performance. The in vivo animal experiments displayed that the CS-PVA-UA nanofiber dressing could improve the closure rate, and also promote the revascularization and re-epithelization, as well as the deposition and remodeling of collagen matrix and the regeneration of hair follicles for diabetic wounds. Specifically, the mean contraction rate of diabetic wounds using CS-PVA-UA nanofiber dressing could reach 99.8% after 18 days of treatment. In summary, our present study offers a promising nanofibrous dressing candidate with multiple biological functions, including anti-inflammation, antioxidation, pro-angiogenesis, and hemostasis functions, for the treatment of hard-to-heal diabetic wounds.

Histopathological Evaluation of the Effect of Eugenol in a Model of Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid-Induced Colitis in Rats

Introduction: Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced experimental colitis in animals is a commonly used model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Eugenol (Eug) is a natural phenolic compound possessing promising antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapeutic properties.

Aim: The present study investigated the effects of Eug in a TNBS-induced rat colitis model using criteria for histopathological evaluation of the colonic damage.

Materials and methods: Male Wistar rats were divided into 6 experimental groups, each of 10 rats: Control, TNBS, TNBS+Eug1, TNBS+Eug5, TNBS+Eug25, and TNBS+Eug125 group. Eug or the solvent (sunflower oil) was applied orally using an orogastric cannula. The control group and TNBS group were treated only with sunflower oil. Eug groups were treated with corresponding doses of Eug (1, 5, 25 and 125 mg/kg) dissolved in sunflower oil. Colitis was induced by the application of TNBS in the colon. The animal treatment began 6 days before the colitis induction and continued for 8 days after it. At the end of the experiment, colitis severity was evaluated histopathologically regarding epithelium injury, inflammatory cell infiltration, and formation of granulation tissue.

Results: In all TNBS+Eug groups, the formation of granulation tissue was enhanced compared to TNBS. In group TNBS+Eug125 the difference was significant compared to the control group (p < 0.05). No significant improvement regarding the scores of epithelium injury and inflammatory cell infiltration was observed in Eug groups compared to TNBS group.

Conclusion: Eug did not improve the signs of TNBS-induced epithelial injury and inflammatory cell infiltration, but stimulated the formation of granulation tissue which might be considered as a sign of healing.

Comparison of Rate of Canine Retraction and Secondary Outcomes Associated With Conventional Fixed Orthodontic Treatment and Minimally Invasive Techniques (MOPs): A Randomized Control Trial

Introduction:

The objective of the study was to assess the rate of canine retraction and secondary outcomes associated with conventional fixed orthodontic treatment (CFO) and CFO with micro-osteoperforation (CFO + MOP), that is, anchorage loss, root resorption, vitality of tooth, pain and discomfort level during the procedure.

Methods:

A total of 16 patients with Class II Division 1 malocclusion who required upper first premolar extraction with lower non-extraction/single incisor extraction were divided into the test group (MOP) and positive control group (CFO + MOP) for a split-mouth study. Both maxillary canines were retracted with nickel–titanium (NiTi) closed coil springs. Patients were reviewed after 24 hours, 7 days, 28 days, and 4, 8, and 16 weeks to assess the rate of tooth movement, anchorage loss, root resorption, vitality of tooth, pain and discomfort level.

Results:

There was a statistically significant difference in the rate of tooth movement between the CFO and CFO + MOP groups after the first 4 weeks ( P-value = .026), whereas no statistically significant difference was observed at 8, 12, and 16 weeks ( P-value = .33, .99, and .08, respectively). In the CFO group, there was no statistically significant difference in tooth movement between different time intervals ( P-value > .05). There was no significant difference in root resorption between the groups. The pain level was higher in the MOP group in the first 24 hours ( P-value < .05) after the procedure. Later on, the difference in pain level between the groups was not significant ( P-value > .05). The vitality of retracted canines in both groups was healthy.

Conclusion:

The study recommends that the CFO + MOP procedure has substantial potential to be used as an adjunct to the routine mechanotherapy for faster tooth movement, as it may reduce the treatment time by half in the first 4 weeks after the MOP procedure. There are no potential differences in anchorage loss, tipping, vitality, and apical and lateral root resorption between the CFO and CFO + MOP groups. This trial was registered at Clinical Trial Registry, India.