title: Continuous electrical current and zinc sulphate administered by transdermal iontophoresis improves skin healing in diabetic rats induced by alloxan: morphological and ultrastructural analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluated the effects of continuous electrical current (CEC) or zinc administrated by transdermal iontophoresis (Zn+TDI).
  
  
  METHODS
  120 male Wistar rats were submitted to an incision surgery at the anterior region of abdomen and distributed into 6 experimental groups with 40 animals: 3 diabetic groups and 3 normal groups, untreated and treated with CEC alone or with Zn + TDI. Each group was further divided into 4 subgroups with 10 rats each to be evaluated on the 4th, 7th, 14th, and 21st day after surgery. In each period, clinical and laboratory parameters from the animals were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis by optical and scanning electron microscopy showed a delay in the phases of wound healing in diabetic rats without treatment in all periods of the experiment; breaking strength (BS) was significantly reduced in skin scars of untreated diabetic rats when compared to other groups. In contrast, BS in skin scars of nondiabetic groups and diabetic rats treated with Zn + TDI showed significant increase in those, besides not presenting delayed healing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electrical stimulation of surgical wounds used alone or in association with zinc by TDI is able to consistently improve the morphological and ultrastructural changes observed in the healing of diabetic animals.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6733-713X
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Langoni Cassettari
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Colli Rocha Dias
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in General Basis of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Natália Lucchesi
authors.affiliation: Municipal Institute of Higher Education, IMES-FAFICA, 55030-902 Catanduva, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maurício
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferraz de Arruda
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Veruska Paiva Ortolan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mariângela Esther A
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Marques
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-970 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: César Tadeu
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Spadella
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000496:Alloxan / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000628:therapy*; D004560:Electricity; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000473:pathology; D007249:Inflammation; D007478:Iontophoresis / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing; D019287:Zinc Sulfate / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000496:Alloxan; D019287:Zinc Sulfate; D003094:Collagen