title: Experimental model of traumatic ulcer in the cheek mucosa of rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish an experimental model of traumatic ulcer in rat cheek mucosa for utilization in future alternative therapy studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 60 adult male rats (250 - 300g) were used. Ulceration of the left cheek mucosa was provoked by abrasion using a nº 15 scalpel blade. The animals were observed for 10 days, during which they were weighed and their ulcers were measured. The histological characteristics were analyzed and scored according to the ulcer phase. In the statistical analysis, a value of p<0.01 was considered a statistically significant response in all cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the five first days, the animals lost weight (Student t test, p<0.01). The ulcerated area receded linearly over time and was almost completely cicatrized after 10 days (ANOVA, Tendency posttest, p<0.0001). Groups on days 1, 2 and 3 days displayed similar results, but a decrease in scores were observed after the 4th day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed cheek mucosa ulcer model in rats can be considered an efficient, low-cost, reliable, and reproducible method.
authors.affiliation: UFC, Ceara, Brazil.
authors.forename: Galyléia Meneses
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Cavalcante
authors.forename: Renata Janaína
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Sousa de Paula
authors.forename: Leonardo Peres de
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Souza
authors.forename: Fabrício Bitu
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.forename: Mário Rogério Lima
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.forename: Ana Paula Negreiros Nunes
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Alves
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002610:Cheek / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D019226:Oral Ulcer / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing