Histological study on the effect of topical application ofglucosamine on wound healing in rats

IntroductionWounds are common in clinical practice, both in outpatient clinics and in hospitals.Poor and/or prolonged wound healing is a clinical problem resulting in long hospitalstay and considerable economic costs. Glucosamine (GA) is a water-solublehexosamine derived from chitin or chitosan. It has been shown to have a stimulatoryeffect on matrix formation and hyaluronic acid synthesis. However, these results weremainly through systemic administration, with few studies topically conducted. The aimof this study was to determine the effect of topical administration of GA on the woundhealing process in a rat model of full-thickness skin wounds.Materials and methodsTwenty-four male albino rats were divided into two groups: a control group (group I)and an experimental group (group II). The control group (10 rats) received regulardressing in addition to the nonmedicated gel base. The experimental group(14 rats) received 2% GA in gel form. A 1 cm^2 full-thickness skin wound wascreated on the back of each rat. Treatment was administered daily until theend of the study (for 10 days). The wound closure rate, collagen synthesis,blood vessel formation, and fibroblast proliferation were studied by histological,immunohistochemical, and morphometric methods.ResultsGA significantly enhanced and accelerated the wound closure rate as wellas fibroblast proliferation. Collagen synthesis was also enhanced, as well asproliferation of hair follicles, in contrast to the control group. GA also improved theneovascularization process at the wound site. Overall, topical application of 2% GAaccelerated the wound healing process and the wound contracting ability.ConclusionThe results of this study indicated that GA has the potential to be used fortreatment of skin wounds as a topical medication; however, further evaluations of itsmechanisms of action and its clinical disadvantages should be made.