Research Information System
15th NATIONAL – 1st INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF HISTOLOGY AND EMBRYOLOGY , Çorum, Turkey, 26 - 28 May 2022, pp.30-31, (Summary Text)
HİSTOPATHOLOGICAL AND IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECT OF LICORICE ON INFECTED BURN WOUNDS Aslı ÖZDEMİR1, Mustafa AKYÜREK2, Meltem İÇKİN GÜLEN3, Sait ELMAS4
1Department of Medical Microbiology, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Medicine, Canakkale, Turkey, asliozdemir0604@gmail.com 2Department of Plastic Surgery, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Medicine, Canakkale, Turkey, drmustafaakyurek@gmail.com 3Department of Histology and Embryology, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University Faculty of Medicine, Canakkale, Turkey, meltemickin@hotmail.com 4Experimental Research Application and Research Center, Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Canakkale, Turkey, saitelmas_46@hotmail.com
Introduction: Burn wounds (BW) on skin occur as a result of heat damage leading to protein denaturation in cells. Infection is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in BWs. In topical BW therapy, Silver sulfadiazine (SSD) was introduced as the gold standard having antibacterial properties. Long-term use of SSD is not recommended due to delayed healing and side effects such as nephrotoxicity and leukopenia. The use of herbal medicines in the treatment of BWs has been investigated in different studies, considering their toxicities as well as therapeutic properties. Licorice root extract (Glycyrrhiza glabra) is a medicinal herb being used in treatment of different dideases traditionally. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antioxidant, anti-viral properties.
Purpose: Because of the reasons that infections delay healing and increase morbidity and mortality as well as increase in resistance to antibiotics, we aimed to examine the effect of licorice on BWs infected with Staphylococcus aureus, an endogenous gram-positive bacterium found in the skin flora; and Enterococcus faecalis, a gram-negative bacterium from the endogenous intestinal flora.
Material-Method: A BW was created by putting a metal plate with a diameter of 2 cm, heated in water at 100 °C, on the backs of 32 male Wistar rats. Rats were divided into 4 groups: Control group (saline applied without bacterial inoculation for 7 days), Staphylococcus+Licorice group (inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus and Licorice applied after saline), Enterococcus+Licorice group (inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis), Licorice group (licorice applied without bacterial inoculation). Skin specimens were prepared for light microscopic evaluations by H&E, Masson's trichrome and TGF-ß1 immunohistochemical stain.
Results: Control group revealed the highest collagenization score whereas it took the lowest TGF-β1 expression score. Inflammation and TGF-β1 expression were increased in Enterococcus+Licorice group and granulation tissue formation was increased in Staphylococcus+Licorice group compared to control group. Vascularization was increased in Enterococcus+Licorice group compared to Staphylococcus+Licorice group.
Conclusion: Our results show that prevention of infection in BWS is the most important step in treatment. Uninfected BW took the lowest inflammation score, moreover the highest collagenization score. Granulation tissue deposition and TGF-Beta1 expression were increased with licorice application to infected or uninfected BWs, indicating a faster healing. It would be beneficial to examine the effect of Licorice on BWs infected with different infectious agents or with different degrees of burns, with longer-term treatments.
Keywords: Burn, Licorice, TGF-ß1