Effects of retinoic acid and zinc on the treatment of caustic esophageal burns.
OBJECTIVE
An experimental study was carried out to investigate the efficacy of an anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative agent all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and an antioxidant agent zinc sulphate (ZnSO(4)) in the prevention of stricture after caustic esophageal burn in rats.


METHODS
Esophageal burn was induced using 50% NaOH. Rats were divided into four groups as follows: group A (sham; n = 8), group B (control; n = 8), group C (treated with ATRA; n = 8) and group D (treated with ZnSO(4); n = 8). All rats were killed on the 28th day and esophageal tissues were evaluated for histopathologic damage score, hydroxyproline (HP) content and TGF-beta1 expression.


RESULTS
Significant difference was detected in terms of histopathologic damage score between groups B and C (p = 0.002). Although mean HP levels of groups C and D were lower than group B, statistical comparison was not significant. TGF-beta1 expression in group C was significantly lower than group B.


CONCLUSIONS
Zinc has not been found effective in the prevention of stricture formation. The results indicate that ATRA has a preventive effect in the development of fibrosis in an experimental model of caustic esophageal burns in rats.
Corduk
Nergul
N
Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey. ncorduk@pamukkale.edu.tr
Koltuksuz
Ugur
U
Calli-Demirkan
Nese
N
Rota
Simin
S
Abban
Gulcin
G
Sarioglu-Buke
Akile
A
D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002057:Burns, Chemical; D002424:Caustics / Q000633:toxicity*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004940:Esophageal Stenosis / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000293:injuries; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019287:Zinc Sulfate / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D002424:Caustics; D014212:Tretinoin; D019287:Zinc Sulfate