Effects of epidermal growth factor on lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide levels in oral mucosal ulcer healing: a time-course study.
OBJECTIVE
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been used as a vulnerary agent. Epidermal growth factor accelerates wound healing. Nitric oxide (NO) is considered to be an important factor which is involved in wound healing. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of interactions between exogenous EGF and NOx which may have either similar or quite opposed properties in the process of oral wound repair on different days. In addition, lipid peroxidation was found to be an indicator of free radical damage.


METHODS
Five-month-old New Zealand albino male rabbits were used for this study. A surgical incision was made in the right mandibula diestema region of the rabbits, which were then divided into controls and EGF implanted groups. All parameters were analyzed by spectrophotometry.


RESULTS
In the EGF-implanted groups, both the NOx and lipid peroxidation indicator levels significantly decreased in comparison to those of the control groups on the first day after wounding. However, on the 3rd and 5th days after wounding, the NOx levels of the tissue strips also decreased in both modalities, but there was no significant alteration between the 3rd and 5th day after wounding.


CONCLUSIONS
It was concluded that EGF affects oral wound healing by downregulating both the lipid peroxidation and NOx levels, and it may thus be considered to be an oxygen radical scavenger.
Coşkun
Sule
S
Department of Biology, Arts and Science Faculty, Gazi University, 06500, Teknikokullar, Ankara, Turkey.
Güleç
Emine Gülçeri
EG
Balabanli
Barbaros
B
Acartürk
Füsun
F
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004343:Drug Implants; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011817:Rabbits; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
D004343:Drug Implants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor