Investigation of the wound healing effects of chitosan on FGFR3 and VEGF ımmunlocalization in experimentally diabetic rats

Chitosan is a naturally occurring substance that stimulates correct deposition, assembly and orientation of collagen fibres in extracellular matrix components in wounds and promotes migration of inflammatory cells. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) is one of the most important growth factors playing crucial roles in angiogenesis and wound healing. Biologically, it acts via binding to the cellular surface receptors. FGFR3 is one of the most important receptors. Therefore the aim of the present study was to investigate, histologically and histochemically, the effect of chitosan on wound healing in experimentally diabetic rats divided into four groups. When compared to the diabetic and the control groups, chitosan group had more inflammatory cells, endothelial cells, newly formed blood vessels and reticular – collagen fibres in the wound healing area from the third day of operation.Moreover, in Chitosan Group, stronger VEGF and FGFR3 immunolocalizations were evident and all steps of wound healing process were more regular. FGFR3 antibody used in this study had been tested only on diabetic wound healing. In conclusion, we have concluded that application of chitosan was essential to accelarate wound healing process in diabetic patients.