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The effects of melatonin on open wounds of aged mice skin
Fereshteh Mehraein1, Kouroush Kabir
1Anatomy Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Unlabelled:
Objective. To study the effects of melatonin on open wounds of aged mice skin by morphological and morphometric evaluations.
Materials And Methods:
Forty 16-month-old male Suri mice were used for this study. They were divided into two groups: 20 mice for control and 20 mice for the experimental group. Under ether anesthesia, the hair on the back of the neck of the two groups was shaved and a 2-cm long, full-thickness incision was made and left unsutured. The experimental group was injected intraperitoneally with a daily single dose of 10 mg/kg melatonin in saline for a total period of 12 days, while the control group received only saline for the same period of time. The mice of experimental and control groups were sacrificed on days 9 and 12 after making the incision, and the skin in the area of the incision was dissected and processed for light microscopy analysis. The epithelization, the mean diameter of nucleus in fibroblasts, the level of hydoxyproline, and the amount of collagen fibers were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software and Mann- Whitney U test to assess the significance of changes between control and experimental groups.
Results:
The dissected skin from the experimental group 9 and 12 days after making the incisions showed a significant increase of mean diameter of nucleus in fibroblasts (P < 0.001). The epithelization, the amount of collagen fibers, and the level of hydroxyproline were also increased significantly compared to control group (P < 0.001).
Conclusion:
The results of this study suggest that melatonin may be beneficial to the healing process of open wounds in aged mice. .
Insights
Melatonin treatment significantly enhanced wound healing in aged mice. The study found increased fibroblast nucleus size, epithelization, collagen, and hydroxyproline levels, suggesting melatonin
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Gerontology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Aging is associated with impaired wound healing.
- Melatonin is a hormone with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may influence tissue repair.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of melatonin on open wound healing in aged mice.
- To evaluate morphological and morphometric changes in skin wound healing.
Main Methods:
- Aged male Suri mice (16 months old) underwent full-thickness skin incisions.
- Mice received daily intraperitoneal injections of melatonin (10 mg/kg) or saline for 12 days.
- Skin samples were analyzed using light microscopy for epithelization, fibroblast nucleus size, hydroxyproline, and collagen content.
Main Results:
- Melatonin significantly increased fibroblast nucleus diameter (P < 0.001).
- Significant increases in epithelization, collagen fiber amount, and hydroxyproline levels were observed in the melatonin group compared to controls (P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Melatonin administration promoted accelerated wound healing in aged mice.
- These findings suggest melatonin's potential therapeutic benefit for wound repair in elderly individuals.
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