Open AccessRat skin wound healing induced by alternagin‐C, a disintegrin‐like, Cys‐rich protein from Bothrops alternatus venom
Author(s) -
Sant'Ana Estela Maria Correia,
Gouvêa Cibele Marli Cação Paiva,
Durigan João Luiz Quagliotti,
Cominetti Márcia Regina,
Pimentel Edson Rosa,
SelistredeAraújo Heloisa Sobreiro
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international wound journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1742-481X
pISSN - 1742-4801
DOI - 10.1111/j.1742-481x.2011.00776.x
Subject(s) - disintegrin , medicine , venom , wound healing , snake venom , dermatology , bothrops , metalloproteinase , surgery , matrix metalloproteinase , biochemistry , biology
Alternagin‐C (ALT‐C) is a disintegrin‐like, Cys‐rich protein isolated from Bothrops alternatus snake venom, which has been shown to induce in vivo angiogenesis. Therefore, this protein could be interesting as a new approach for tissue regeneration studies. Here the effects of ALT‐C on fibroblasts and inflammatory cells, collagen type III and type I and TGF‐ α expression in a rat wounded skin model were studied. Thirty‐five male Wistar rats (weight 270 ± 20 g) were divided into seven groups with five animals in each of the following groups: a control group which wounded animals received treatment with natrozol ® gel only; ALT‐C10, ALT‐C60 and ALT‐C100 groups of wounded animals that were treated with the same amount of gel containing 10, 60 and 100 ng of ALT‐C, respectively. Animals were treated once a day with 20 µl of gel associated or not with ALT‐C for 1, 3, 5 or 7 days. ALT‐C treatment increased the fibroblast density, collagen deposition and accelerated the inflammatory process, mostly in the ALT‐C60 group. These results indicate that ALT‐C improves wound repair process in rat skin. Thus, ALT‐C could be a candidate to the development of a novel therapeutic strategy for wounded skin repair.