title: Effect of Aloe vera application on the content and molecular arrangement of glycosaminoglycans during calcaneal tendon healing.
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 7(th) , 14(th) , or 21(st) 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 14(th) 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 21(st) 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas-UNICAMP, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Andrea Aparecida de
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Aro
authors.forename: Marcelo Augusto Marretto
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Esquisatto
authors.forename: Umar
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Nishan
authors.forename: Mylena Oliveira
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: Rodney Alexandre Ferreira
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Foglio
authors.forename: João Ernesto de
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Laurecir
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Benedicto De Campos
authors.initials: Bde C
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: Edson Rosa
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Pimentel
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000504:Aloe; D000818:Animals; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D013710:Tendons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: dichroic ratio; injury; non-collagenous proteins; ointment; proteoglycans