Stereological and Molecular Studies on the Effects of Echinopsis chamaecereus Extract on Wound Healing in Rats

 Background and purpose: Effective medicines, especially herbal products, have received a lot of interest in recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate the wound healing effect of Echinopsis chamaecereus extract ointment that has high antioxidant power in the healing of full-thickness skin wounds in rats. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, 50 male rats were randomly divided into 5 groups, including control, Vaseline, E. chamaecereus 2% ointment, E. chamaecereus 5% ointment, and Madecassol ointment. There were full-thickness skin wounds in all groups. Percentage of wound closure, collagen density, tissue volume, number of cells, expression of proliferative and inflammatory genes, and cell proliferation were investigated in all groups. Results: The wound closure rate, new epidermis and dermis volume, total density of fibroblast and epidermal basal cells, collagen deposition, cell proliferation, and expression of TGF-β gene significantly increased in the extract treated groups, especially in the group treated with E. chamaecereus 5% ointment compared with the control group and Vaseline group (P<0.05). Furthermore, a significant decrease was seen in the expression of inflammatory genes (TNF-α and IL-1β) in the extract treated groups, especially in E. chamaecereus 5% ointment group compared with the control group and Vaseline group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The extract of Echinopsis chamaecereus, especially at 5%, had a greater effect on the healing process of acute wounds than other groups examined in this study.