Evaluation of the effects of electrical stimulation on cartilage repair in adult male rats

This study describes the organization of mature hyaline xiphoid cartilage during repair in animals submitted to electrical current stimulation. Twenty male Wistar rats, 90 days old, were divided into a control group (CG) and a treated group (TG). A cylindrical full-thickness cartilage defects were created with a 3-mm punch in anesthetized animals. After 24 h, TG received daily applications of a continuous electrical current (1 Hz/20 mu A) for 5 min. The animals were sacrificed after 7, 21 and 35 days for structural analysis. In CG, the repair tissue presented fibrous characteristics, with fibroblastic cells being infiltrated and permeated by blood vessels. Basophilic foci of cartilage tissue were observed on day 35. In TG, the repair tissue also presented fibrous characteristics, but a larger number of thick collagen fibers were seen on day 21. A large number of cartilaginous nests were observed on day 35. Cell numbers were significantly higher in TG. Calcification points were detected in TG on day 35. There was no difference in elastic fibers between groups. Ultrastructural analysis revealed the presence of chondrocyte-like cells in CG at all time points, but only on days 21 and 35 in TG. The amount of cuprolinic blue-stained proteoglycans was higher in TG on day 35. Microcurrent stimulation accelerates the repair process in non-articular hyaline cartilage. Crown Copyright (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.45427528

Anti-hemorrhagic effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of the leaves of Mikania glomerata in lesions induced by Bothrops jararaca venom in rats

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of hydroalcoholic leaf extract of Mikania glomerata Spreng (Asteraceae) on the activity of Bothrops jararaca snake venom in Wistar rats. METHODS: Fifty four rats Wistar were divided into six groups of nine animals in each: control treated with saline; control treated with B. jararaca venom; control treated with M. glomerata extract; B. jararaca venom incubated with M. glomerata extract at proportions of 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4. RESULTS: Histopathological and morphometric analysis showed that intradermal administration of snake venom incubated with the hydroalcoholic extract at proportions of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4 promoted a significant reduction in the number of inflammatory cells and a marked decrease in edema after the third hour. There was also a significant reduction in the intensity of the hemorrhagic halo in animals receiving the snake venom incubated with the extract, with the observation of a progressive and parallel inhibition with increasing proportion of M. glomerata. CONCLUSION: The Mikania glomerata hydroalcoholic extract exerted effective anti-inflammatory and antihemorrhagic activity against the effects induced by Bothrops jararaca snake venom.2913037Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)CNPq [108113/2010-8

Electrospun Membranes of Poly(Lactic Acid) (PLA) Used as Scaffold in Drug Delivery of Extract of Sedum Dendroideum

Biomaterials nanofibrous electrospun with biodegradable polymers have the advantage of the similarity to natural extracellular matrices, showing promising as scaffolds for application in tissue engineering. Sedum dendroideum is a phytotherapic drug that stands out for its healing properties and anti-inflammatory. This study presents the efficacy of PLA electrospun membranes used as support S. dendroideum extract releasing on excisional skin lesions of Wistar rats. The PLA porous membranes, which are nonwoven fibrous mats, were obtained by electrospinning using a conventional apparatus with a flat collector. The animals were randomly divided into nine groups: control (C), animals treated with electrospun membranes of PLA (M), animals treated with extract of S. dendroideum dissolved in saline (F), animals treated with membranes of PLA with 10% S. dendroideum (MF10), animals treated with membranes of PLA with 25% S. dendroideum (MF25). Tissue samples were taken after 2, 6 and 10 days after surgery and were subjected to structural analysis and morphology. The experimental observations showed the application of the phytotherapic incorporated in the membrane promoted a significant response regarding the number of inflammatory cells, percentage of mature collagen fibers and epithelium birrefringent in thickness excisional skin lesions in Wistar rats. It was also demonstrated that the application of the PLA membranes without the extract promoted similar responses tissues.1374694470