Many research studies report the healing effects of Aloe Vera, thyroid hormone cream and silver sulfadiazine. However, the effects of these therapeutic agents are not well understood and have not been compared in one study. This study aimed at investigating the effects of topical application of an Aloe vera gel, a thyroid hormone cream and a silver sulfadiazine cream on the healing of skin wounds surgically induced in Wistar rats for determining the treatment of choice. In a randomized controlled trial, twelve male rats, aged 120 days and with a mean weight of 250 to 300 g, were divided randomly into 5 groups based on drug treatments: Aloe vera gel (AV), thyroid hormone cream (TC), silver sulfadiazine 1% (S), vehicle (V) and control. To evaluate the efficacy of each treatment technique, a biomechanical approach was used to assess tensile stress after 14 days of treatment. Tensile stress was significantly improved in the Aloe vera gel group as compared with the other four groups (P< or =0.05). While the other treatment options resulted in better healing than the control group, this difference was not significant. We conclude that Aloe vera topical application accelerated the healing process more than thyroid hormone, silver sulfadiazine and vehicle in surgically induced incisions in rats.
Aged ; Aloe ; Animals ; Humans ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Silver ; Silver Sulfadiazine ; Skin ; Thyroid Gland ; Wound Healing

Therapeutic effects of various treatment options in wound healing have been one of the most controversial issues in surgical science. The present study was carried out to examine and compare the effects of Aloe vera gel, thyroid hormone cream and silver sulfadiazine cream onsutured incisions in Wistar rats. In a randomized controlled trial, thirty-six Wistar male rats, 250 to 300 g, received surgical incisions followed by topical application of Aloe vera gel, thyroid hormone cream and silver sulfadiazine 1%. To assess the efficacy of each treatment technique, a histological approach was used to evaluate the mean number of fibroblasts, macrophages, neutrophils, blood vessel sections and thickness of the regenerating epithelium and dermis on days 4, 7 and 14. Re-epithelialization and angiogenesis were significantly improved in Aloe vera gel group compared with the other treatments while thyroid hormone cream had positive effects on day 4 (P< or =0.05). Topical administration of Aloe vera gel is recommended as the treatment of choice for surgical incisions.
Administration, Topical ; Aloe ; Animals ; Blood Vessels ; Dermis ; Epithelium ; Fibroblasts ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Humans ; Macrophages ; Male ; Neutrophils ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Re-Epithelialization ; Silver Sulfadiazine ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Hormones ; Wound Healing

In recent years, examination and comparison of the biological characteristics of bone marrow- and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from various perspectives have come into the focus of stem cell research, as these cells should be well characterized in order to utilize them in future cellular therapies. Therefore, in the present study, surface protein markers and the skeletal myogenic differentiation potential of rat bone marrow- and adipose-derived MSCs were examined. The expression of CD44, CD45, CD73, and CD90 on bone marrow- and adipose-derived MSCs was characterized using flow cytometry. Subsequently, the stem cells were differentiated into myogenic lineages, and the expression of the skeletal myogenic markers MyoD1, Myog, and Myh2 was studied in cells using real time polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence. Our results reveal that the pattern of CD marker expression differs between these 2 types of MSCs to some extent, whereas no significant difference was observed with respect to their myogenic differentiation potential. Therefore, we concluded that despite the differences observed in the biological features of these 2 types of MSCs, their myogenic potential appears to be similar, and that adipose-derived stem cells may be useful in skeletal muscle tissue engineering, due to their easy isolation and capacity for rapid expansion in a short time span.
Animals ; Antigens, Surface ; Flow Cytometry ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Population Characteristics ; Rats ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Stem Cell Research ; Stem Cells ; Tissue Engineering