title: Mast cell concentration and skin wound contraction in rats treated with Ximenia americana L.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate wound contraction and the concentration of mast cells in skin wounds treated with wild plum (Ximenia americana) essential oil-based ointment in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty rats were submitted to two cutaneous wounds in the thoracic region, on the right and left antimeres. Thereon, they were divided into three groups: GX (wounds treated once a day with hydro alcoholic branch extract of Ximenia americana), GP (wounds that received vehicle), and GC (wounds without product application). Wounds were measured immediately after the injury as well as 4, 7, 14 and 21 days post-topical application of the extract. At these days, five rats from each group were euthanatized. Thereafter, samples were fixed in 10% formaldehyde and processed for paraffin embedding. Sections were stained with H.E, Masson's Trichrome and toluidine blue for morphological, morphometrical and histopathological analysis, under light microscopy. The degree of epithelial contraction was measured and mast cell concentrations were also evaluated with an image analyzer (Image Pro-plus®software) .
  
  
  RESULTS
  The extract treated group showed lower mast cell concentrations in the 4th day of lesion, as compared to GP (GX<GP=GC, p=0.029), as well as with increased contraction at 7th and 14th days, respectively (7th and 14th days, GX > GP = GC; p<0.05) .
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ointment containing 10% X. americana induces a decrease in mast cell concentration, at the beginning of the healing process, and promotes early skin wound contraction in rats.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Animal Bioscience, Department of Morphology and Animal Physiology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: José de
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castro Souza Junior Neto
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Animal Bioscience, Department of Morphology and Animal Physiology, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lígia Reis de Moura
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Estevão
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Liriane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Baratella-Evêncio
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Animal Bioscience, Department of Morphology and Animal Physiology, UFRPE, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcela Gabriela Feitosa
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Vieira
authors.affiliation: Clinics Hospital, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Santos
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rinaldo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Florencio-Silva
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Division, Department of Biology, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Picos, PI, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Evêncio-Luz
authors.affiliation: Anatomy Division, Department of Morphology and Physiology, UFRPE, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Evêncio-Neto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D002452:Cell Count; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D031656:Olacaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D012867:Skin / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts