Glycyrrhizinate Dipotassium (DPG) Effects over Skin Wound Healing

Abstract

Skin wound healing is a complex process involving cellular, and molecular events: inflammatory, proliferative, and remodeling phases. Infectious disease, pre‐existing diseases, medications, and aging can negatively interfere in healing. Research on leptin, collagenase, and tretinoin have been done attempting to promote healing. Glycyrrhizinate Dipotassium (DPG), derived from licorice, has anti‐allergic, antibiotic, and anti‐inflammatory effects, besides promoting the skeletal muscle regeneration by activating quiescent satellite cells, leading myoblasts and myotubes differentiation, and forming new muscle fibers. Considering these aspects, we purpose to verify the 2% DPG pharmacological effect on secondary intention wound healing in adult and aged animals. Twenty male Wistar rats were used. Two skins' excisions (2 cm diameter) of normal skin were made in the animal dorsal region (Naïve group). Topical application of 2% DPG was done on the distal wound daily for 7 days (Treated group). The proximal wound was not treated (Control group). After 14 or 21 days (n = 5 each) of wound creation, the samples were excised, fixed in 10% formol, and processed for paraffin inclusion. Slides were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and Masson's trichrome (MT) for histological analysis. Wound healing areas, epidermal and dermal measurements were performed. Statistical analysis adopted a 5% coefficient for null hypothesis rejection. Histological analysis revealed intact skins for Naïve group. Control and Treated groups presented skin with epidermis and dermis reshaped: all epidermal layers (basale, spinosum, granulosum, lucidum, and corneum stratum), as papillary and reticular dermis. In aged rats, the wound was smaller in treated than in untreated animals, resulting in a larger scar compared with the adult rats. However, when treated wounds were compared, no differences were found between the wound areas in adult and aged rats. After 14 days the epidermis thickness of adult and aged animals treated with DPG was thicker than untreated animals. However, after 21 days, the adult epidermis thickness of animals treated with DPG was thinner than untreated animals. The dermis thickness of adult and aged animals treated or non‐treated with 2% DPG did not differ. On the 21st day, adult and aged complete reepithelialization were found in treated animals. Results indicate that 2% DPG significantly reverses wounds process to a skin normal state, even for aged animals, by reepithelization, probably acting during inflammatory and proliferative phases of healing. Such results point DPG as a promissory agent to promote skin healing.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.