title: Exploring the in vivo wound healing effects of a recombinant hemolin from the caterpillarLonomia obliqua.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hemolin proteins are cell adhesion molecules from lepidopterans involved in a wide range of cell interactions concerning their adhesion properties. However, hemolin's roles in cell proliferation and wound healing are not fully elucidated. It has been recently reported that rLosac, a recombinant hemolin from the caterpillarLonomia obliqua, presents antiapoptotic activity and is capable of improving in vitro wound healing. Therefore, this study aimed to explore rLosac's in vivo effects using a skin wound healing model in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Circular full-thickness wounds in the rat dorsum skin were treated either with rLosac, or with saline (control), allowing healing by keeping the wounds occluded and moist. During the wound healing, the following tissue regeneration parameters were evaluated: wound closure and collagen content. Furthermore, tissue sections were subjected to histological and immunohistochemical analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rLosac treatment has demonstrated its capacity to improve wound healing, as reflected in findings of a larger number of activated fibroblasts, proliferation of epithelial cells, increase of collagen type 1, and decrease of inflammatory infiltrate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings have indicated the rLosac protein as a very promising molecule for the development of new wound-healing formulations.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP 05503-900 Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Claudia
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP 05503-900 Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosemary Viola
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Bosch
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP 05503-900 Brazil.
authors.forename: Sonia Elisabete Alves
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Will
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP 05503-900 Brazil.
authors.forename: Miryam Paola
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Flores
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP 05503-900 Brazil.
authors.forename: Mauricio Barbugiani
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Goldfeder
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP 05503-900 Brazil.
authors.forename: Kerly Fernanda Mesquita
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Pasqualoto
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP 05503-900 Brazil.
authors.forename: Bárbara Athayde Vaz Galvão
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP 05503-900 Brazil.
authors.forename: Sonia Aparecida
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: de Andrade
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Butantan Institute, Av. Vital Brasil 1500, São Paulo, SP 05503-900 Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Marisa
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Chudzinski-Tavassi
keywords: Collagen; Hemolin; Wound healing; rLosac