The Effects of Topical Application of Thyroid Hormone (Liothyronine, T3) on Skin Wounds in Diabetic Wistar Rats

Background Efficient treatment of skin ulcers, a leading cause of substantial number of morbidities among diabetic patients, is a subject of matter. Objectives Since current therapies are partially effective and/or expensive and topical liothyronine (T3) was shown to get faster wound healing in mice, the present study was designed to assess its effectiveness in diabetic male rats. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, 30 male wistar rats with mean weight of 242 g were randomly assigned into control (group C) (n = 10) and diabetic (n = 20) groups. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of streptozotocin. Diabetic rats were randomly subdivided into two groups: diabetic T3 group (group A) which was treated with 150 ng/day topical T3 and diabetic placebo group (group B) received vehicle. Full thickness wound on dorsum was created in each rat (1 cm²). Photographs were taken at baseline, fourth and tenth day to analyze changes in surface areas of wounds. Results Results obtained from the present study showed that baseline surface areas of wounds were similar in all groups. Conversely, wound contraction was significantly better in T3 group in fourth and tenth days compared to placebo group, (P = 0.001, P < 0.00001). Moreover, wound healing was impaired in diabetic placebo group compared to other groups (all P < 0.05). Conclusions This study revealed that topical T3 administration is an effective measure for treatment of ulcers in diabetic male rats.