RESUMEN
Dysregulation of growth and inflammatory mediators might contribute to defective tissue homeostasis and healing, as commonly observed in sedentary lifestyles and in conditions such as diabetes mellitus type-2. The present study aims to assess expression changes in growth and inflammatory mediators in the intact and healing Achilles tendon of type-2 diabetic rats. The study utilized 11 male diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) and 10 age- and sex-matched Wistar control rats. The right Achilles tendon was transected in all animals, whereas the left Achilles tendon remained intact. At 2 weeks post-injury, intact and injured tendons were assessed for gene expression for VEGF, Tß-4, TGF-ß1, IGF-1, COX-2, iNOS, HIF-1α, and IL-1ß by quantitative reverse transcription plus the polymerase chain reaction, and their protein distribution was studied by immunolocalization. In injured tendons of diabetic GK rats, VEGF and Tß-4 mRNA and corresponding protein levels were significantly down-regulated compared with those of injured Wistar controls. Compared with intact tendons of diabetic GK rats, TGF-ß1, IGF-1, and COX-2 RNA levels were higher, whereas iNOS mRNA levels were lower in injured tendons of diabetic GK rats. Within Wistar controls, healing at 2 weeks post-injury led to significantly down-regulated VEGF and iNOS mRNA levels in injured tendons, whereas TGF-ß1 and HIF-1α mRNA levels increased compared with intact tendons. Thus, dysregulation of inflammatory and growth mediators occurs in type-2 diabetes injured tendons. Our data suggest that therapeutic modulation of Tß-4 and VEGF represent a new regenerative approach in operated, injured, or degenerative tendon diseases in diabetes.