title: Plantago lanceolata L. water extract induces transition of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts and increases tensile strength of healing skin wounds.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although the exact underlying mechanisms are still unknown, Plantago lanceolata L. (PL) water extracts are frequently used to stimulate wound healing and to drain abscesses. Therefore, in this experimental study the effect of PL water extract on skin wound healing was studied in Sprague-Dawley rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two excisional and one incisional skin wounds were performed on the back of each rat. Wounds were treated for three consecutive days with two different concentrations of the aqueous extract of PL. Rats were sacrificed 7, 14, and 21 days after surgery. Samples of wounds were processed for macroscopic (excisions - wound contraction measurement), biomechanical (incisions - wound tensile strength (TS) measurement) and histological examination (excisions).
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was shown that open wounds treated with PL extract contained myofibroblasts and demonstrated significantly higher contraction rates. Furthermore, significantly increased wound TSs were recorded in treated rats as a consequence of increased organization of extracellular matrix proteins, such as the collagen type 1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated that PL aqueous extract improves skin wound healing in rats. However, further research need to be performed to find optimal therapeutic concentration, and exact underlying mechanism prior obtained results may be introduced into the clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department for Biomedical Research, East-Slovak Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Košice, Slovak Republic; 2nd Department of Surgery, Louise Pasteur University Hospital and Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Košice, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kováč
authors.forename: Ján
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ďurkáč
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hollý
authors.forename: Katarína
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jakubčová
authors.forename: Vlasta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Peržeľová
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mučaji
authors.forename: Emil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Švajdlenka
authors.forename: František
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sabol
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Legáth
authors.forename: Jozef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Belák
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Smetana
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gál
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008297:Male; D058628:Myofibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010943:Plantago; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: excisional wound; incisional wound; phytotherapy; rat; tissue repair and regeneration