Topical application of adelmidrol + trans-traumatic acid enhances skin wound healing in a streptozotocin-induced diabetic mouse model

Impaired wound healing is considered to be one of the severe complications associated with diabetes. Adelmidrol and trans-traumatic acid are commonly called Nevamast (R). This gel consists precisely of 2% adelmidrol and 1% trans-traumatic acid. Thanks to its components, it is capable of favoring the natural process of skin re-epithelialization. This study tests the theory that topical usage of adelmidrol + trans-traumatic acid has important effects on the healing and closure of diabetic wounds in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mouse model. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of STZ (60 mg/kg) in 0.01 M citrate buffer (pH 4.5) administrated for 5 consecutive days. After diabetes induction, two longitudinal incisions were made on the dorsum of the mice. The animals were killed between 6 and 12 days from wound induction. We found that diabetic mice compared to control mice presented: a retarded wound closure, characterized by an important reduction in the levels of transforming growth factor-beta, plus an important increase of vascular endothelial growth factor and endothelial-type nitric oxide synthase expression, together with a reduction of adhesion molecules such as intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and P-selectin and a prolonged elevation of the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 in wound tissues. This study demonstrates that topical application of adelmidrol + trans-traumatic acid has important effects on the healing and closure of diabetic wounds in an STZ-induced diabetic mouse model.