Co-transfection of hepatocyte growth factor and truncated TGF-ß type II receptor inhibit scar formation

Wound scarring remains a major challenge for plastic surgeons. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-β plays a key role in the process of scar formation. Previous studies have demonstrated that truncated TGF-β type II receptor (t-TGF-βRII) is unable to continue signal transduction but is still capable of binding to TGF-β, thereby blocking the TGF-β signaling pathway. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a multifunctional growth factor that promotes tissue regeneration and wound healing. Theoretically, the combination of HGF and t-TGF-βRII would be expected to exert a synergistic effect on promoting wound healing and reducing collagen formation. In the present study, lentivirus-mediated transfection of the two genes (t-TGF-βRII/HGF) into fibroblasts in vitro and in a rat model in vivo was used. The results demonstrated that the expression of t-TGF-βRII and HGF in NIH-3T3 cells was successfully induced. The expression of both molecules significantly reduced collagen I and III expression, and also inhibited fibroblast proliferation. Furthermore, histological examination and scar quantification revealed less scarring in the experimental wound in a rat model. Moreover, on macroscopic inspection, the experimental wound exhibited less visible scarring compared with the control. Therefore, the present study demonstrated that the combination gene therapy of t-TGF-βRII and HGF promoted wound healing, with less scarring and more epithelial tissue formation, not only by suppressing the overgrowth of collagen due to its antifibrotic effect, but also by promoting tissue regeneration.

Formação de membrana fibrótica cicatricial em paciente submetido à ceratoplastia penetrante / Fibrotic scar membrane formation in patients undergoing penetrating keratoplasty

RESUMO O surgimento de uma membrana fibrótica opacificada na córnea transplantada é pouco descrito nas literaturas nacional e mundial. O objetivo é relatar o caso de um paciente com leucoma total de olho esquerdo que foi submetido à ceratoplastia penetrante levando a formação de dupla câmara anterior devido ao surgimento de uma membrana fibrótica cicatricial. Paciente do sexo masculino, 54 anos, com leucoma total secundário a ceratite herpética, diabético há 20 anos, em uso de insulina, com retinopatia diabética não proliferativa. Realizou-se cirurgia de membranectomia com complicações pós-operatória.

ABSTRACT The emergence of opaque fibrotic membrane in transplanted cornea is little described in national and world literature. The goal is to report the case of a patient with leucoma total of left eye that was submitted to the penetrating keratoplasty leading to formation of double anterior chamber due to the emergence of a fibrotic scar membrane. Male patient, 54 years, with total herpetic keratitis secondary leucoma, diabetic for 20 years, using insulin, with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Held membranectomia surgery with postoperative complications.

Morphological analysis of second-intention wound healing in rats submitted to 16 J/cm 2 λ 660-nm laser irradiation.

Background and Objectives : Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been extensively applied to improve wound healing due to some biostimulatory properties presented by laser arrays apparently able to accelerate the cicatricial repair of soft tissue injuries. However, many controversial results have been reported in the literature, probably as a result of the wide sort of different protocols of photobiomodulation employed in those experiments. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of a low-dose protocol of LLT on the intensity of the inflammatory response and the pattern of collagen fibers' deposition during second-intention wound healing in rodents. Materials and Methods : Standard-sized wounds were carried out in the back of 24 male rats. Half of them underwent LLLT treatment (16 J/cm 2 ) at 660 nm delivered for 7 days. Eight and 14 days after the wounds were performed, the repairing area was removed and stained in HE and Masson's trichrome, and the inflammatory response, epithelization, and collagen fiber depositions were evaluated. Results : We found that LLLT was able to slightly reduce the intensity of the inflammatory reaction as well as to enhance substantially the epithelization process at both 8 th and 14 th days. In addition, it also appeared to stimulate the deposition of collagen fibers at the final stages of wound healing. Conclusions : The LLLT protocol tested in this study resulted in some improvements in second-intention wound healing in rodents.

Biocirugía: utilización de larvas de insectos necrófagos en la curación de heridas. La terapia larval / Biosurgery: use of larvae of necrophage insects in wound healing. The larval therapy

La terapia larval es una técnica que permite aplicar las larvas de algunas especies de dípteros sobre heridas crónicas o sobre focos de infección localizados, con la finalidad de restaurar el tejido afectado. La velocidad y la eficacia del tratamiento, sumadas a la casi nula pérdida de tejido sano durante el proceso de reparación tisular, han hecho de la terapia larval o biocirugía una alternativa viable para la curación de heridas asociadas con entidades como pie diabético, úlceras venosas, úlceras crónicas de la piel y quemaduras, así como de ciertos tipos de tumores beningos, abscesos y osteomielitis.Aunque la medicina moderna ha sido, en muchos casos, reticente a la aplicación de terapias de esta índole, eventos como la resistencia a los antibióticos y las alteraciones en el proceso de cicatrización en las heridas crónicas han permitido modificar la posición inicial de muchos médicos al respecto.

Critical analysis of the behaviour of inclusions: inflammatory and repairational response / Análise crítica do comportamento das inclusöes: a resposta inflamatória e reparacional

Os autores analisam a resposta inflamatória e reparacional às inclusöes e suas conseqüências, quando inseridos nos tecidos moles de organismos vivos. A resposta tissular final às inclusöes tem sido atribuída à sua composiçäo química. No entanto, esta afirmaçäo näo persiste isoladamente. Os efeitos físicos produzidos pela superfície de contato das inclusöes com os tecidos receptores interferem profundamente na intensidade da resposta inflamatória e, como conseqüência, também no processo reparacional. E ainda, a medida destas respostas está diretamente relacionada à quantidade da superfície de contato da inclusäo com os tecidos receptores. Por essa razäo, a lâmina de poliamida causa menor resposta inflamatória que a mesma quantidade desse material sob a forma de lä. A forma das inclusöes, abrangendo a presença de arestas ou superfícies polidas, denota evidentes diferenças na resposta tissular. Mesmo näo considerando esses fatores como definitivos, se for feita a comparaçäo entre inclusöes com arestas mais agudas ou mais arredondadas, as primeiras causam maior inflamaçäo. Atualmente encontra-se bem estabelecido que o efeito físico possui maior representaçäo na resposta provocada no tecido receptor do que a composiçäo química das inclusöes