Combined Effect of Low-Level Laser Treatment and Levothyroxine on Wound Healing in Rats With Hypothyroidism

Introduction: Hypothyroidism delays wound healing by reducing the synthesis of keratinocytes, fibroblast cells, and collagen. Methods for enhancement of wound healing include laser therapy and hormone therapy. The current study evaluated the combined effect of laser and levothyroxine therapy to cure wounds in male rats with hypothyroidism.Methods: Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: (1) healthy controls; (2) controls with hypothyroidism; (3) hypothyroidism + laser treatment; (4) hypothyroidism + levothyroxine treatment; (5) hypothyroidism + laser + levothyroxine treatment. Hypothyroidism was induced by dissolving 4 mg of methimazole in 100 mL of drinking water daily for 28 days. After hypothyroidism had been confirmed, a longitudinal incisional wound was created on the dorsal rib cages of the rats. The wounds that received laser treatment were divided into 12 sections and treated at 810 nm wavelength and 0.2 J/cm2 of energy density for 200 seconds. Levothyroxine was administrated in doses of 20 μg/kg/d i.p. All groups were divided into 3 subgroups for testing on days 4, 7 and 14. Samples were collected in all the subgroups.Results: The results showed that hypothyroidism reduced fibrous tissue volume, fibroblasts, and basal cell numbers. The combined effect of laser and levothyroxine improved all parameters.Conclusion: Combined laser and levothyroxine treatment showed the best effect on wound healing and accelerated the closure of the wounds

DNA Methylation and Histone Acetylation Patterns in Cultured Bovine Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells (BADSCs)

Objective: Many studies have focused on the epigenetic characteristics of donor cells to improve somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). We hypothesized that the epigenetic status and chromatin structure of undifferentiated bovine adipose tissue-derived stem cells (BADSCs) would not remain constant during different passages. The objective of this study was to determine the mRNA expression patterns of DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1, DNMT3a, DNMT3b) and histone deacetyltransferses (HDAC1, HDAC2, HDAC3) in BADSCs. In addition, we compared the measured levels of octamer binding protein-4 expression (OCT4) and acetylation of H3K9 (H3K9ac) in BADSCs cultures and different passages in vitro. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, subcutaneous fat was obtained from adult cows immediately post-mortem. Relative level of DNMTs and HDACs was examined using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR), and the level of OCT4 and H3K9ac was analyzed by flow cytometry at passages 3 (P3), 5 (P5) and 7 (P7). Results: The OCT4 protein level was similar at P3 and P5 but a significant decrease in its level was seen at P7. The highest and lowest levels of H3K9ac were observed at P5 and P7, respectively. At P5, the expression of HDACs and DNMTs was significantly decreased. In contrast, a remarkable increase in the expression of DNMTs was observed at P7. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that the epigenetic status of BADSCs was variable during culture. The P5 cells showed the highest level of stemness and multipotency and the lowest level of chromatin compaction. Therefore, we suggest that P5 cells may be more efficient for SCNT compared with other passages

Effects of Astragalus fasciculifolius gum on wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

Introduction: Recently it has been shown that Astragalus fasciculifolius may be an effective remedy in the treatment of diabetes and wound healing. Current study was designed to examine the effects of topical administration of A. fasciculifolius (common name: sarcocolla) cream on treatment of wounds in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Methods: A circle deep wound having 15-mm diameter was created on the back of 32 streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Thirty-two wounds were evaluated in four groups of animals (n = 8). The animals in first and second groups were treated using distilled water and petrolatum for 20 days, respectively. The third and fourth groups were treated using sarcocolla cream 5% and 10% for 20 days, respectively. The evaluation was performed in all groups on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14, 17 and 20. Results: The sarcocolla cream 5% and sarcocolla cream 10% exerted significant healing effects on diabetic rat wounds (P<0.001) compared to the control groups under treatment of petrolatum or distilled water. The sarcocolla cream had favorable effects on the woundhealing ratio especially during long-term (14 days), with no difference at concentrations of sarcocolla 5% and 10%. Conclusion: Sarcocolla (topical) therapy is possibly a useful approach for wound healing in diabetic rats. More investigations are needed to elucidate the possible protective mechanisms and safety