Effect of Aloe vera application on the content and molecular arrangement of glycosaminoglycans during calcaneal tendon healing

• Published in: Microscopy research and technique Vol. 77; no. 12; pp. 964 - 973
• Main Authors: De Aro, Andrea Aparecida, Esquisatto, Marcelo Augusto Marretto, Nishan, Umar, Perez, Mylena Oliveira, Rodrigues, Rodney Alexandre Ferreira, Foglio, Mary Ann, De Carvalho, João Ernesto, Gomes, Laurecir, Vidal, Benedicto De Campos, Pimentel, Edson Rosa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-12-2014; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Administration, Topical; Aloe; Animals; dichroic ratio; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Glycosaminoglycans; Glycosaminoglycans - metabolism; Healing; Injuries; injury; Male; non-collagenous proteins; Ointment; Phytotherapy; Plant Preparations - administration & dosage; Plant Preparations - therapeutic use; Proteins; proteoglycans; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Tendon Injuries - drug therapy; Tendon Injuries - metabolism; Tendons; Tendons - drug effects; Tendons - metabolism; Wound Healing - drug effects; proteoglycans; injury; dichroic ratio; ointment; non-collagenous proteins
• ISSN: 1059-910X; 1097-0029
• DOI: 10.1002/jemt.22422

ABSTRACT
Although several treatments for tendon lesions have been proposed, successful tendon repair remains a great challenge for orthopedics, especially considering the high incidence of re‐rupture of injured tendons. Our aim was to evaluate the pharmacological potential of Aloe vera on the content and arrangement of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) during tendon healing, which was based on the effectiveness of A. vera on collagen organization previously observed by our group. In rats, a partial calcaneal tendon transection was performed with subsequent topical A. vera application at the injury site. The tendons were treated with A. vera ointment for 7 days and excised on the 7th, 14th, or 21st day post‐surgery. Control rats received ointment without A. vera. A higher content of GAGs and a lower amount of dermatan sulfate were detected in the A. vera‐treated group on the 14th day compared with the control. Also at 14 days post‐surgery, a lower dichroic ratio in toluidine blue stained sections was observed in A. vera‐treated tendons compared with the control. No differences were observed in the chondroitin‐6‐sulfate and TGF‐β1 levels between the groups, and higher amount of non‐collagenous proteins was detected in the A. vera‐treated group on the 21st day, compared with the control group. No differences were observed in the number of fibroblasts, inflammatory cells and blood vessels between the groups. The application of A. vera during tendon healing modified the arrangement of GAGs and increased the content of GAGs and non‐collagenous proteins. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:964–973, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.