Effects of acute diabetes on rat cutaneous wound healing.

INTRODUCTION:: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic hyperglycaemic disorder. Complicated metabolic mechanisms and increased incidence of infections are clinical hallmarks, mostly associated with its chronicity. There is little information about the early pathological processes in diabetes. The objective of our study was to evaluate the healing process during early phases of experimental diabetes on rat skin. METHODS:: Alloxan induced diabetic rats were used. Non-injected animals were used as control. Punch byopsies on dorsal skin had histopathological evaluation of the healing areas made on days 1, 3 and 7 post-surgery. RESULTS:: The results showed that: (1) in diabetics, the inflammation, the initial healing phase, has a slow beginning and tends to last longer; and (2) diabetic animals showed lower density of neutrophils in healing areas up to 3 days after surgery, and in addition, after day 3, when the neutrophils should leave the healing area, and be replaced by macrophages, compared to controls, diabetic animals showed higher numbers of neutrophils. PRINCIPAL CONCLUSION:: Although diabetes is a chronic progressive disease, acute diabetes can be associated to subclinical alterations, and responsible for deficiencies in defense cells and in repair tissue failures.

Diabete inicial e candidíase bucal / Early diabetes mellitus and oral candidiasis susceptibility

A mucosa bucal atual como interface entre os ambientes interno e externo, protegendo contra a penetração de microrganismos. Suas alterações podem levar a um aumento da patogenicidade ou diminuição da capacidade de defesa. A diabete é um grupo heterogêneo de alterações, caracterizada principalmente por estado hiperglicêmico. Suas complicações são associadas principalmente à sua duração, e pouca informação existe a respeito dos eventos iniciais dessa doença. Foi realizada a avaliação da suscetibilidade à candidíase nos momentos iniciais da diabete. Foram utilizados ratos Wistar, com diabete induzida por aloxana. Animais não injetados foram utilizados como controle. Todos os animais receberam a inoculação de um "pool" de Candida sp, e foram avaliados durante 7 dias após a inoculação. os resultados nos permitiram observar que, mesmo em estágios bastante iniciais da diabete existe um aumento da suscetibilidade à candidíase bucal

Progressive effects of diabetes mellitus on the skin epithelium of the rat

Skin serves as interface between inner aand outer environment, and acts a a mechanical barrier. Changes in its characteristics may lead to a higher pathogenicity, less defense capacity, or both. Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous group of chronic hyperglycemic disorders, considered a syndrome rather than a simple disease. Complications by diabetes are mostly associated with the chronicity of the disease and very little information exists about its early pathological processes. Animal models are considered very useful for the study of early diabetes. Wistar rats with lloxan induccced diabetes were used in a way to study the progresive effects of diabetes mellitus on the skin epithelium. Five animals were sacrificed at 7 days (Phase I) and five others at 26 days (Phase II) after the comprovation of hyperglycemic state. Animals not inyected with alloxan were used as control. Histometric and stereologic methods were used for the tissue analysis. Our results allow us to observe that nevertheless progressive thickness decrease is observed with the progress of the disease, epithelial thickness is observed decreased very early in the course of the diabetes. Our results suggest that, although diabetes is a chronic disease, and many of its complications are related to the chronicity, it is reasonable to think about ddeficiency in the capacity of acting as a barier for the skin epithelium even in early phases of the disease. Professionals must be aware about patients with high risk for diabetes development.